Sudan Opens Border With South Sudan

Sudan President Omar Hassan al-Bashir ordered his country to open its border with South Sudan for the first time since the south’s secession in 2011, state news agency SUNA reported Wednesday. The border was closed in 2011 after the south seceded following a long civil war, fracturing relations and taking with it three quarters of Sudan’s oil. Khartoum has accused Juba, the capital of South Sudan, of supporting a rebellion in the Darfur region. Juba has denied the allegations. The opening of borders follows South Sudan President Salva Kiir’s surprise announcement that the two countries would normalize relations after Bashir agreed to cut the transit fees for the South Sudanese oil crossing its territory via pipeline.