South Sudan traders hope talks open border with old foe Sudan - Bayoubuzz

BENTIU, South Sudan (Reuters) - Sandwiched between two of South Sudan's biggest oilfields, residents in Bentiu , a dusty town near the boundary with Sudan might expect a steady supply of cheap fuel.

But since cross-border trade halted ahead of South Sudan's secession last year, Unity state and other frontier regions have had to truck petrol down hundreds of miles of dirt roads from Kenya and Uganda at a premium, spurring double-digit inflation.

Traders and officials are cautiously hoping peace talks between the leaders of north and south - under way in Ethiopia on Monday - will soon allow commercial traffic to resume across the boundary, restoring historic supply routes for food, fuel and consumer goods.

Gasoline used to come from refineries in the north - faster and cheaper than imports from South Sudan's southern neighbors.

"We hope the border opens. Prices would ease and expenses would come down," said