South SudanBrief history:
• Egypt was keen to respect the will of the people of South Sudan to secede from the North, which was expressed in the referendum held on January 9th, 2011, and resulted in the declaration of the State of South Sudan on July 9th, 2011.
Cairo was the first capital to recognize South Sudan directly after Khartoum did on the day of the proclamation of the State, in appreciation and respect for the right of the southern people to self-determination.
Moreover, Egypt was one of the first countries that have raised the level of representation directly after the declaration of independence to the level of an embassy.
Such significance Egypt gives to South Sudan was reflected through the Egyptian Prime Minister's visit to Sudan (Khartoum and Juba) in his first foreign visit after the revolution of the January 25th, 2011 during which he was accompanied by seven ministers representing the most important current and future cooperation sectors with South Sudan, followed by the first foreign visit of the Foreign Minister, after the revolution of June 30th, directly after Khartoum.
• Egypt provided urgent humanitarian assistance to southern Sudan immediately after the outbreak of the armed conflict in December 2013, to complement its active role in the field of development in southern Sudan, manifested in the assistance and multiple projects offered by Egypt to southern Sudan in various fields (health by sending Egyptian clinics and Medical convoys, agriculture, establishment of power plants, the construction of dams and disinfection of wastewater, education and the establishment of Egyptian schools).
• Egypt has welcomed the signing of the warring parties to the peace agreement in August 2015, and stressed the importance of all States and organizations that signed and sponsored the agreement to deal very carefully with the concerns and observations raised over the agreement to ensure its success and to achieve stability and persistent peace in southern Sudan.
The most prominent bilateral visits:
• The Egyptian Prime Minister visited Sudan (Khartoum and Juba) in his first foreign visit after the revolution of the January 25th, 2011 during which he was accompanied by seven ministers representing the most important current and future cooperation sectors with South Sudan, followed by the first foreign visit of the Foreign Minister, after the revolution of June 30th, directly after Khartoum.
• Noteworthy, the South Sudanese President "Salva Kiir" visited Egypt during the period from November 20th to 23rd, 2014, which is his first visit following the secession of South Sudan from the Sudan.
The immediate positive results of the visit were reflected on the signing of several agreements and memoranda of understanding.Economic and trade relations:
Energy and electricity cooperation:
• Four power plants were constructed in the cities of Wau, Rumbek, Yambio, Bor at a cost of 154 million Egyptian pounds.
The Ministry of Electricity and Energy has trained 43 trainees from South Sudan through the project of cooperation with African countries.
• The Egyptian Ministry of Petroleum is working to help the South Sudanese side in improving methods of extracting and refining petroleum and petroleum services.
Field of water resources:
• The Egyptian Ministry of Water Resources is digging 30 groundwater wells in southern Sudan worth $5.8 million.
The Egyptian Ministry of Water Resources provides training courses for a number of South Sudan technical personnel to enable them to run the wells after the company finishes drilling.
• Egypt has rehabilitated seven stations for measuring flow and river levels (in Juba, Malakal, Wau, Nimule, Mnjellal, Bor, and Bentiu) worth $2 million.
It also seeks to start disinfecting waterways in Bahr el Ghazal Basin, as well as the creation of the marina river in Wau (the state of Western Bahr el Ghazal).
Education Field:
• Three schools have been constructed in Juba, Jonglei and Wau (Bahr el Ghazal State).Health:
• In 2008, a medical clinic has been equipped and inaugurated in Juba in the district of Jellaba, employing Egyptian specialized physicians.
In March 14th, 2013 a protocol has been signed on the establishment of two health centers in South Sudan city of Bor in Jonglei state and Akon in Warab State.
• Several medical convoys have been sent by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Egyptian Fund for Technical Cooperation with Africa) to the South of Sudan.
Humanitarian aid:
• Egypt has provided humanitarian aid to South Sudan several times since independence, most recently during the recent political and security crisis that erupted in mid-December 2013, after which two C-130 military aircraft were sent loaded with humanitarian aid from Egypt.
• Egypt provided an airlift of humanitarian aids (10 aircraft) in 2017.
Contractual framework:The following agreements and memoranda of understanding have been signed:
• Mutual exemption of visas for holders of diplomatic, special and service passports.
• Memorandum of Understanding in the field of health.
• Executive program for cooperation in the field of higher education between the Egyptian Ministry of Higher Education and the Ministry of Education and Technology of South Sudan.
• An executive program in the field of youth.
• A memorandum of understanding for agricultural cooperation for the establishment of a joint model farm.
• Memorandum of Understanding in the field of Fishery production.
• Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy of the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Ministry of Electricity and Dams, Irrigation and Water Resources of the Republic of South Sudan in various fields in electricity and energy.
• Memorandum of Understanding in the field of culture.
• Technical cooperation agreement in the field of irrigation.
