South Sudan Transitional National Legislative Assembly Ratifies General Cooperation Agreement with Saudi Arabi

• The Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA) ratified the General Cooperation Agreement between South Sudan and Saudi Arabia.
• The agreement, initially signed in 2017 but later expired, was re-signed in 2022 with a one-year expiration date.
• Ratification is crucial for South Sudan to benefit from potential cooperation with Saudi Arabia, particularly in sectors like agriculture, education, mining, and others.
• Foreign Affairs Minister James Morgan Pitia clarified concerns surrounding provisions allowing cooperation across different sectors.
• The ratification now provides a framework for relevant ministries to pursue investment, trade, infrastructure, education, health, and other areas of cooperation with Saudi Arabia.

The work of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is to find friends for South Sudan. Once we ratify this document, Foreign Affairs will no longer be involved.

The Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA) ratified the General Cooperation Agreement between South Sudan and Saudi Arabia after months of scrutiny. The agreement, initially signed in 2017 but later expired, was re-signed in 2022 with a one-year expiration date. Ratification is crucial for South Sudan to benefit from potential cooperation with Saudi Arabia, particularly in sectors like agriculture, education, mining, and others. The Assembly's decision follows Foreign Affairs Minister James Morgan Pitia's defense of the agreement, which he said would allow sector-specific ministries to engage directly with their Saudi counterparts on investments and development projects.

Pitia clarified concerns surrounding provisions allowing cooperation across different sectors, stating that such provisions do not mean Saudi Arabia would automatically control or take over strategic resources. He also withdrew language contained in a previous letter from his ministry that had attracted criticism from lawmakers. The minister emphasized the importance of international partnerships for South Sudan's economic development and said his ministry's role is to establish friendships, while sector-specific ministries oversee cooperation projects.

The ratification now provides a framework for relevant ministries to pursue investment, trade, infrastructure, education, health, and other areas of cooperation with Saudi Arabia.

The General Cooperation Agreement between South Sudan and Saudi Arabia has been in the making since 2017. Initially signed by former Foreign Affairs Minister Deng Alor during the United Nations General Assembly, it expired due to non-ratification. The agreement was re-signed in 2022 with a one-year expiration date, requiring ratification for its implementation. This development is significant, especially considering South Sudan's participation in the 2024 Saudi-Africa Summit in Riyadh.

The summit presented opportunities for cooperation among African countries, but South Sudan's inability to benefit from projects was due to its failure to ratify the agreement. The current ratification aims to address this issue and enable South Sudan to engage with Saudi Arabia on various sectors, including agriculture, education, mining, and others.

Lawyers should note that the agreement's provisions allowing cooperation across different sectors do not imply automatic control or takeover by Saudi Arabia. Instead, they facilitate collaboration between sector-specific ministries in both countries.

The ratification of the General Cooperation Agreement between South Sudan and Saudi Arabia has significant implications for the country's economic sovereignty. Critics have raised concerns that some provisions could undermine South Sudan's control over strategic sectors, but Foreign Affairs Minister James Morgan Pitia clarified these concerns.

Pitia emphasized the importance of international partnerships in promoting economic development, particularly in sectors like agriculture, education, mining, and others. The agreement provides a framework for relevant ministries to pursue investment, trade, infrastructure, education, health, and other areas of cooperation with Saudi Arabia.

Lawmakers have also called for stronger due diligence by parliamentary committees when reviewing international agreements. This is crucial for safeguarding South Sudan's interests in future cooperation agreements.

Lawyers should watch for the potential implications of this agreement on South Sudan's economic sovereignty, particularly with regards to strategic sectors, and advise clients accordingly.

Source: Original reporting via TNLA