In a move to bolster border security and promote trade, Ethiopia and South Sudan have agreed to jointly develop alternative oil infrastructure. The decision was reached during a high-level meeting on July 6, 2024, involving governors and administrators from both sides of the shared border, according to the Sudan Tribune.
The discussions, described as "cordial and honest," focused on strengthening cooperation in areas of infrastructure development, trade, security, and investment.
One key outcome of the meeting was an agreement to build a key road connecting Upper Nile state in South Sudan to the Ethiopian border, passing through Gambella-Pagak, Maiwut, Malakal-Maluth, and Paloich.
This road will serve as a crucial transport route for South Sudanese oil, heading to the ports of Djibouti through neighboring Ethiopia.
“We recognize the importance of border trade, and this can be enhanced through the existence of roads and the provision of security,” said David Nyang, the minister of cabinet affairs in Upper Nile State.
He hailed the agreement as an opportunity to consolidate peace and stability in the region through economic cooperation and trade.
Semaya K. Kumba, South Sudan's deputy minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, described the meeting as a milestone in bilateral relations, emphasizing the agreement's potential to address shared challenges and promote cooperation.