A high-level Sudanese delegation arrived to South Sudan on Thursday led by the Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs Rahmatallah Mohammed Osman. The diplomat was met at Juba Airport by his South Sudanese counterpart Charles Mayan and the Minister of Transport and Roads Agnes Poni Lokudu.
Undersecretary Rahmatallah met the following morning with the South Sudanese Minister of Interior, Alison Manani Magaya. They discussed the possibility of resuming airline flights between the two countries. In addition, they spoke about the status of students and other common interests such as border trade.
Air traffic between Juba and Khartoum has been suspended since April 9. The border regions of Sudan have been under a ‘state of emergency’ not allowing any movement of essential goods to the South.
This is the most senior Sudanese diplomat to visit Juba since the April oil war broke out on the frontier of South Kordofan and Unity states. The visit suggests that talks between the two countries are progressing despite the delayed start of the formal Addis Ababa negotiations following the death of Ethiopian Prime-Minister Meles Zenawi.