South Sudan knocks China for staying out of oil conflict

South Sudan’s chief negotiator criticized China for remaining passive as tensions with neighboring Sudan escalate over an oil transit dispute, Reuters reported. China has extensive interests in both Sudan, where it has been a strong supporter of President Omar al-Bashir, and South Sudan, which broke off from the country last year. South Sudan contains much of the former country’s oil deposits, but is landlocked and needs to pump its oil through Sudan to reach international markets. Disputes over the price of pumping oil through Sudan led South Sudan to shut off its oil supply and have sparked intensifying border skirmishes. Juba, the capital of South Sudan, has asked China to support an alternative pipeline to the ocean via Kenya. “[China’s] role has not been very active [in the dispute],” said Pagan Amum, South Sudan’s negotiator on Tuesday. “Maybe China also [needs] to catch up its foreign policy with its international position, having huge investments abroad.”