South Sudan army moves into Heglig after ‘tripartite deal’South Sudanese troops have entered the Heglig oil field in West Kordofan after an agreement with Sudan’s warring parties. The field processes some 130,000 barrels of South Sudanese crude for export via pipelines in Sudan.
The deal requires both Sudanese parties to withdraw from the field and allows South Sudanese forces to protect oil installations to prevent sabotage, Nang said. The aim is to “completely neutralise” the area from combat as battles intensify across the Kordofan region.
South Sudanese troops will not participate in any military operations inside Sudan and will maintain strict neutrality, he stressed, adding the SSPDF’s mandate is limited to securing oil infrastructure vital to both countries’ economies.
The deployment follows the RSF’s takeover of the strategic site on Monday, which forced SAF units to retreat across the border into South Sudan, where they surrendered their weapons.
Economist Wael Fahmy told Radio Dabanga that the RSF’s capture of Heglig is significant but will have limited economic effect. Revenues from the sector have become marginal and “consequently, oil is no longer a vital resource for domestic consumption for the government.”
Heglig’s production has fallen from 65,000 barrels per day to around 20,000 since fighting between SAF and the RSF escalated in April 2023. As reported by Dabanga yesterday, the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) withdrew from Sudan after three decades, citing deteriorating security in the West Kordofan fields.
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