Sudanese authorities temporarily closed a key border crossing with South Sudan on Sunday after a Sudanese soldier was shot and killed by South Sudanese police while crossing the frontier the previous night, officials said Monday.
The incident occurred Saturday in the border town of Joda, which links South Sudan’s Upper Nile state with Sudan’s White Nile state. The Sudanese soldier, who was in uniform and armed, crossed into the South Sudanese side of the border after nightfall.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj, Renk County Commissioner Diing Deng Lueth confirmed the details of the shooting and the subsequent border closure.
“The incident happened on Saturday and it involved South Sudan police at the common border and a Sudanese army officer who crossed the border at night,” Lueth said. “When the police tried to stop him, he did not stop, and this led to him being shot.”
The soldier was taken to a hospital in Sudan where he later died from his wounds, the commissioner said.
Lueth said he did not know why the soldier crossed the border or why he failed to stop when challenged. “The soldier was running, and it is not clear why,” he said, suggesting the soldier may have been “under the influence of something.”
In response to the killing, Sudanese military authorities closed the Joda border crossing on Sunday. The closure stranded travelers and disrupted trade, a source at the border told Radio Tamazuj on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.
“It has affected our work here as businesspeople near the border. While you are allowed to cross to the Sudanese side, you cannot carry anything with you. However, I can say today is better than yesterday. There are still restrictions, but the situation has improved,” the source said.
However, Commissioner Lueth asserted that the border had reopened Monday and that movement was returning to normal.
“I can confirm that the border has resumed today after it was closed yesterday by the Sudanese military,” Lueth said. “Movement is normal today and the issue is being resolved.”
He described the shooting as an “isolated” incident that involved an individual soldier and said it had not disrupted overall movement along the shared border.
To address the tensions, South Sudanese officials said they have initiated talks with their counterparts from Sudan’s Jebelain Locality. Lueth also confirmed that a South Sudanese investigation committee, comprising military intelligence, criminal investigators, and border police, has been formed to probe the actions of the police officers involved.
Sudanese officials in White Nile state could not immediately be reached for comment.
The border between the two nations has been a source of tension since South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011. While the Joda crossing is a vital economic and social link, isolated security incidents have previously led to temporary closures.