Juba: South Sudan has successfully negotiated a three-party agreement with the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), granting the South Sudan People's Defense Forces (SSPDF) control over security at the Heglig oilfield. This strategic oilfield is located in West Kordofan, near the border between Sudan and South Sudan.

According to Anadolu Agency, the agreement was announced by government spokesperson Ateny Wek Ateny during a press conference in Juba, the capital of South Sudan. Ateny emphasized that the SSPDF now holds 'primary security responsibility' for the oil installations in Heglig. The deal was brokered by South Sudan's President Salva Kiir Mayardit, who engaged with leaders from both sides of the Sudanese conflict to cease hostilities in the area.

SSPDF Chief of Staff Paul Nang, speaking from Heglig, confirmed that President Kiir held discussions with Sudan's Sovereign Council head Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti) to facilitate the agreement. The accord mandates the withdrawal of both the Sudanese army and the RSF from the region.

The Heglig oilfield is crucial to Sudanese oil production, with South Sudanese oil being transported through a pipeline beginning in Heglig. This pipeline, which is vital for the region's economy, runs 1,610 kilometers to Port Bashayer on the Red Sea.

As of now, there has been no official comment from the Sudanese authorities or the RSF regarding the agreement. However, Omar al-Digeir, head of the Sudanese Congress Party, indicated on Facebook that the absence of a formal statement from either military side 'suggests an unannounced confirmation' of the arrangement. He urged for the same dedication to be applied toward achieving a humanitarian truce.

The RSF had previously claimed control over Heglig, citing intentions to protect South Sudan's economic interests. The Sudanese government had accused the RSF of attacks on oil infrastructure, including a drone assault in November that disrupted oil exports.

The Kordofan region has been a hotspot of conflict between the army and RSF, with tens of thousands of people displaced by the ongoing violence. The conflict, which erupted in April 2023, has resulted in a significant loss of life and displacement of millions across Sudan's 18 states.