Khartoum and Juba has agreed to extend the financial arrangements agreement signed in 2013 regarding oil field by another three years.

According to Sudan's Minister of Petroleum and Gas, Mohamed Zayed Awad, South Sudan's oil transit fees via Sudan's territories would remain as it is with $20 per barrel. “This agreement was set for three years. We have agreed to extend it for another three years,” he said.

The South Sudanese Minister of Petroleum, Ezekiel Gatkuoth, also expressed happiness over the agreement to extend the oil financial arrangements deal and cooperate in the oil filed, re-operate the stopped oil fields, training, capacity building and research and laboratories through the oil training center.

Under the agreement signed between Sudan and South Sudan, Juba would pay $3billion as aid to Sudan for three years and the government would pay about $20 as oil transit fees per barrel.

Before the agreement was signed, Khartoum proposed the allocation of a portion of South Sudan's oil as transit fees rather than stating a figure, but South Sudan dismissed the offer and insisted on choosing the $20 per barrel figure.

Anita Fatunji