KEY POINTS
- Sudan’s Ministry of Energy issued new petroleum regulations using international tenders for fuel imports.
- The new rules end a disputed group import system that involved 30 private sector companies in five groups.
- The regulations will be implemented with qualified companies from both the public and private sectors.
Sudan’s government has drawn a line under months of dispute over how it imports fuel. New regulations are now in place, and the old system is gone.
The Ministry of Energy and Petroleum issued a fresh package of regulations governing the import and distribution of petroleum products on June 11. The measures introduce international competitive tenders for fuel imports, replacing a previous arrangement that had become contentious.
The ministry said the new framework aims to enhance transparency and ensure a stable, uninterrupted supply of petroleum products. Implementation will involve qualified companies from both the public and private sectors.
The move comes after a prolonged standoff. Earlier this year, the ministry had been working with 30 private sector companies organized into five joint groups to cover part of the country’s fuel import needs. That arrangement was cancelled, with May 31 set as the final deadline for the group system to operate.
A fuel crisis shaped by war and rising global prices
Sudan’s petroleum sector has been under serious strain. Global fuel prices have surged following Middle East conflict, with the price of a barrel of gasoline rising sharply from approximately $78 to $245 in a short period. Those increases fed directly into domestic prices under Sudan’s fuel price liberalization policy, which the ministry exited in 2021.
The ministry’s role since then has been regulatory, not commercial. It determines national fuel requirements, oversees import operations and directs distribution. But managing private importers proved difficult. Some operators warned that changing the group system would create monopoly conditions, raise prices and risk shortages.
What the new regulations are designed to fix
The international tender mechanism is designed to address both transparency concerns and supply reliability. By opening imports to competitive bidding rather than negotiated private arrangements, the government aims to reduce the influence of any single group of importers.
In March 2026, more than ten fuel tankers were positioned at Port Sudan awaiting discharge, with over 20 more waiting in the Red Sea. The ministry at that point publicly urged importers to minimize profit margins to ease the burden on citizens. The new regulations are the government’s formal answer to that crisis, replacing informal coordination with a structured procurement framework.
