South Sudan starts halting oil pumping: minister

"The decision to stop oil pumping is final and irreversible," the report quoted Dhieu as saying, noting that block (5a) has been shut down in addition to 30 to 40 percent of blocks in Upper Nile State.

The South Sudan government decided Friday to stop oil production due to differences with Sudan over the exportation of South Sudan's oil through the Sudanese harbors, Xinhua reports.

The government of South Sudan said Sudan has embarked on shipping amounts of South Sudan's oil and selling them for its own benefits, while Sudan said it is deducting the transit fees in the form of material oil.

Sudan and South Sudan are negotiating in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa, under the mediation of the African Union, to reach an agreement over the oil issue.

After separating with South Sudan in July 2011, Sudan lost two thirds of its oil resources, and the two sides have not agreed on the oil-sharing issue yet.