SOUTH SUDAN · RUSSIA
Key Facts
- Decision The Council of Ministers unanimously endorsed a strategic partnership with Russia, the presidency says.
- Sectors Oil, mining, health, agriculture, education, infrastructure and information technology.
- Next steps A committee will write the framework, then a 2027 to 2029 action plan with a 100-day programme.
- Oil On Thursday 29 October in Moscow, both sides signed a preliminary deal on former Petronas oil stakes.
- Still missing No price, share size or completion date has been published for the oil stakes.
The South Sudan cabinet unanimously endorsed a strategic partnership with Russia, the presidency said in a statement reported on Tuesday 3 November 2026. President Salva Kiir chaired the meeting after returning from the Russia-Africa summit in Moscow.
It matters to US readers because Washington leads the push for reform in Juba, ahead of elections due on Tuesday 22 December 2026. Moscow, meanwhile, is in line to take over oil stakes in South Sudan.
What the Cabinet Decided
The decision came at an extraordinary meeting of the Caretaker Council of Ministers, numbered 02/2026, which Kiir chaired. Kiir named this temporary cabinet in September after dissolving the transitional government.
Kiir briefed ministers on his Moscow trip and urged wider cooperation with Russia and new areas of partnership. The presidency’s statement lists oil, mining, health, agriculture, education, infrastructure and information technology.
Caretaker Cabinet Affairs Minister Bol Wek Agoth said a committee will set the framework and rules for the cooperation. Officials will also draft a 2027 to 2029 Strategic Cooperation Action Plan with a 100-day start-up programme.
The follow-up list includes choosing priority projects, naming a focal minister for each, starting technical talks and advancing a joint cooperation commission. The statement gives no start dates for these steps.
The Oil Deal Signed in Moscow
On Thursday 29 October 2026, South Sudan and Russia signed a memorandum of understanding and a letter of acceptance in Moscow. They cover a preliminary transfer of former Petronas stakes in two oil consortiums to Zarubezhneft, a Russian state-owned oil company.
Petronas, Malaysia’s state oil company, held 40% of one consortium and 30% of the other before it announced its exit on 7 August 2024. The presidency called the Moscow paper a preliminary agreement, and the stake Zarubezhneft would acquire has not been stated.
Petroleum Minister Awow Daniel Chuang and Russian Energy Minister Sergey Tsivilev co-chaired the talks. Officials of Nile Petroleum Corporation, South Sudan’s state oil company, also attended.
Kiir also held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin. He told the summit that South Sudan welcomes Russian investment in agriculture, petroleum, mining and tourism.
In Plain English, Who Is Who
The Council of Ministers is South Sudan’s cabinet, chaired by President Salva Kiir. Caretaker means its members serve in a temporary capacity ahead of the 22 December elections.
Zarubezhneft is a Russian state-owned oil company with projects abroad. Nile Petroleum Corporation, known as NilePet, is South Sudan’s state oil company.
The two consortiums, Dar Petroleum Operating Company and Greater Pioneer Operating Company, are groups of firms that run oil fields together. They work Blocks 3 and 7 in Upper Nile State and Blocks 1, 2 and 4 in Unity State and Ruweng.
What It Means for You
Russia is gaining a possible foothold in the oil sector of a country where Washington leads the push for reform. Our guide to South Sudan’s geopolitics notes that Russia abstained on both UN votes this year, and the oil paper adds a commercial link.
US travel advice for South Sudan is Do Not Travel, while a UN rights commission warns of a constitutional coup around the vote. Oil is the state’s main income, so who runs the fields shapes revenue and politics.
What Is Not Known
No text of the cooperation terms has been published, and neither side has stated a price or a share for the former Petronas stakes. The cabinet statement does not say which document the ministers endorsed.
A 2024 hydropower memorandum with RusHydro, a Russian state hydropower company, has seen little progress since it was signed in August 2024. Whether the new framework changes that is open.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What did South Sudan’s cabinet approve?
Ministers unanimously endorsed a strategic partnership with Russia, the presidency said. A committee will now write the framework and a 2027 to 2029 action plan.
Which sectors does the partnership cover?
The statement lists oil, mining, health, agriculture, education, infrastructure and information technology. Oil is the most advanced area, with a preliminary deal signed in Moscow on 29 October.
What is the deal on Petronas shares?
It is a preliminary agreement to move former Petronas shares in two oil consortiums to Zarubezhneft. No price, share size or completion date has been published.
When are South Sudan’s elections?
Elections are scheduled for Tuesday 22 December 2026. A UN commission says opposition leader Riek Machar is detained and on trial, and his party is excluded.
Sources: Presidency of South Sudan, press unit statement on Extraordinary Council of Ministers meeting No. 02/2026, reported 3 November 2026; Presidency of South Sudan, statement on the preliminary agreement with Zarubezhneft signed at Russia’s Ministry of Energy, Moscow, 29 October 2026; United Nations, Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan, address to the General Assembly Third Committee, 27 October 2026.
Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief · Editorial standards · Report an error
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