The government of Sudan has announced plans to shutdown of the critical oil export pipeline that transports South Sudan’s crude to international markets, citing intensified attacks on key infrastructure by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
In a letter addressed to South Sudan’s Ministry of Petroleum, Sudan’s Ministry of Energy and Petroleum warned that continuing hostilities posed an imminent threat to export operations. The letter, signed by Energy Undersecretary Mohhieddien Naiem Mohamed Saied, emphasized that the situation had reached a “very high” risk level following drone strikes on essential oil facilities.
The latest attack reportedly took place in the early hours of May 9, targeting PETCO’s pump station number 5 in Al-Hudi. The facility suffered significant damage, the letter said. A day earlier, a separate strike hit a diesel depot in White Nile State operated by the Bashayer Pipeline Company (BAPCO). Sudanese authorities have blamed the RSF for the assaults, accusing the group of deliberately targeting civilian and energy infrastructure in army-held areas.
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Impact
The disruption has already impacted Sudan’s ability to receive critical imports and maintain uninterrupted operations at its Red Sea export terminal in Port Sudan. The energy ministry cited power outages at maritime terminals, delays in offloading chemical supplies, and looming fuel shortages across transport networks.
Landlocked South Sudan relies almost entirely on Sudan’s pipeline network to transport approximately 110,000 barrels of crude oil per day to global markets via Port Sudan. Oil revenues make up the vast majority of South Sudan’s national income, and any disruption in exports could trigger significant economic fallout.
Although South Sudanese officials had yet to issue an official response as of Sunday, a technical adviser in the Ministry of Petroleum confirmed receipt of the letter and said a formal reaction would likely follow on Monday. He noted the letter arrived on a non-working day in Sudan and the final working day of the week in South Sudan.
A separate source in South Sudan’s Ministry of Finance suggested Khartoum could be using the security situation to pressure Juba into renegotiating transit fees, although the physical damage caused by the drone attacks appears substantial.
The developments come amid heightened tensions not only between Sudan’s army and the RSF—locked in a brutal conflict since April 2023—but also within South Sudan’s leadership. In March, South Sudan’s Oil Minister Puot Kang Chuol, a close ally of First Vice President Riek Machar, was arrested in a move that further exposed rifts between President Salva Kiir and Machar’s camp. The political divide threatens the implementation of South Sudan’s fragile 2018 peace agreement.
Regional observers warn that a full shutdown of the pipeline could have dire humanitarian and economic consequences, further destabilizing both nations and placing additional pressure on neighboring East African states.