Al-Burhan Receives Letter from South Sudan President to Boost Cooperation

By Al Mayadeen English

14 Dec 2025 22:58

Sudan’s Sovereign Council chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, received a message from South Sudan’s president on boosting cooperation in oil, energy, and trade.

Chairman of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereign Council, Lt. Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, received a written message on Sunday from South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit concerning bilateral relations and prospects for expanding cooperation between the two countries across various sectors.

The message was delivered during al-Burhan’s meeting with a high-level South Sudanese delegation headed by Salva Kiir’s security affairs adviser, Tut Kewlwak.

Sudan’s Foreign Ministry Undersecretary, Ambassador Muawiya Othman Khalid, said the meeting addressed the close ties linking the two nations, noting that al-Burhan directed all state institutions at ministerial and technical levels to engage with their South Sudanese counterparts on issues of mutual interest.

He added that discussions focused in particular on cooperation in the energy and oil sectors, as well as trade, the economy, and political relations between Sudan and South Sudan.

South Sudan’s Foreign Minister, Monday Semaya, said President Salva Kiir’s message was sent within the framework of fraternal relations, stressing the strength and durability of ties between the two countries.

Semaya said the talks included an exchange of views on economic and investment issues, including the oil industry and trade, adding that both sides agreed on the need to hold bilateral and technical meetings to address shared concerns and enhance cooperation.

Sudan facing worst humanitarian crisis

This comes after the World Food Programme (WFP) warned on Friday that conditions in Sudan’s besieged city of El Fasher have deteriorated to levels “beyond horrific,” with between 70,000 and 100,000 people believed to remain trapped amid mass killings, famine, and the collapse of basic services.

Speaking to journalists in Geneva, Ross Smith, WFP’s director of emergency preparedness and response, said widespread network outages have largely cut off communications with the North Darfur city, leaving humanitarian agencies with only limited information about the situation on the ground.

Smith said satellite imagery and survivor testimonies describe El Fasher as “a crime scene,” citing reports of mass killings, burned bodies, abandoned markets, and the complete absence of commercial activity. He added that there are no signs of trade routes reopening or supplies reaching the city, and confirmed that the WFP no longer has humanitarian partners operating inside El Fasher.

“There are no confirmed reports of any community kitchens functioning,” Smith said, underscoring the scale of food insecurity facing civilians still trapped in the city.

Aid access blocked as food supplies run out

The WFP renewed calls for unrestricted humanitarian access to El Fasher in order to assess urgent needs. Smith said Rapid Support Forces authorities have given preliminary approval to minimum UN conditions for entry, stressing that the agency is ready to move immediately if a safe corridor is secured.

“Food supplies and trucks are available to reach all civilians without delay if safe passage is guaranteed,” he said.

Smith also highlighted the situation in Tawila, where more than 650,000 displaced people are living in overcrowded, temporary conditions amid a cholera outbreak and severe shortages of basic services. He warned that without urgent funding, the WFP will be forced to reduce food rations in 2026, further worsening the humanitarian crisis.

To maintain current assistance levels, Smith said the agency has already begun rationing supplies. Starting in January, food rations will be reduced to 70% for communities experiencing famine and 50% for those at risk, which he described as “the absolute minimum needed to survive.”

Even with these measures, Smith warned that WFP resources are sufficient to sustain current operations for only four months. “If another mass displacement occurs, the WFP will have no choice but to cut assistance elsewhere in Sudan,” he said, calling the situation “catastrophic” as the agency struggles to respond to what it describes as the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.