Sudan's Kosti port|Courtesy

 The Ministry of Transport has pledged to rehabilitate and fully reopen river transport between South Sudan and Sudan, in partnership with the Sudanese Nile River Transport Company, aiming to boost trade and passenger travel along the River Nile.

The announcement follows a meeting in Juba between Ministry officials and representatives of the Sudanese company, focused on removing obstacles along the river and preparing for the resumption of operations between Juba and Kosti.

Director General at the Ministry of Transport, Zubair Taban Zakayo, said the talks were centered on strengthening cooperation and improving river transport services.

“During the meeting, we discussed how to improve river transport operations between the two countries. We agreed with the Sudanese side to resume operations, remove obstacles along the Nile River, and open a branch office of the company in South Sudan,” he said.

Abdul-Azim Al-Rifai, Director General of the Sudanese Nile River Transport Company, expressed optimism about the renewed partnership. Speaking to SSTV, he said:

“We discussed how to resume river transport between the two countries — between Kosti and Juba — for the benefit of the citizens of both nations.”

The resumption of river transport is expected to strengthen economic ties, ease the movement of goods and passengers, and support trade between the two countries.

The River Nile serves as South Sudan’s main transport corridor, connecting seven of the country’s ten states through more than 1,360 kilometres of navigable waterways.

River transport between Sudan and South Sudan had previously resumed in May 2022 after more than a decade-long halt following South Sudan’s independence in 2011, but operations were disrupted by the outbreak of war in Sudan in April 2023.