South Sudan’s Minister of Petroleum, Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth on Monday visited Qatar to boost ties between the two nations. In a meeting with the Acting CEO of Qatar National Bank (QNB) in Doha, Abdallah Mubarak Al-Khalifa, Minister Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening bilateral ties. QNB was the first Middle Eastern bank to open in South Sudan in 2011 and provided a line of credit to purchase food and fuel in 2014. The two officials discussed cooperation between Qatar and South Sudan in the fields of trade, commerce, economic development, support for small businesses, and infrastructure projects. South Sudan fought a 20-year independence war with Sudan, seceding in 2011, but the fate of the two economies remains closely tied.

Source: The North Africa Journal March 26, 2019 15:11 UTC