Sudan’s President Omar Hassan al-Bashir ordered the opening of his country’s border with South Sudan for the first time since the south’s secession in 2011, paving the way for better economic links between the two nations. The border was closed in 2011 when relations deteriorated after the south seceded following a long civil war, taking with it three quarters of the country’s oil, estimated at 5 billion barrels of proven reserves, according to US Energy Information Administration. “President Omar al-Bashir issued a decree on Thursday ordering the opening of borders with the State of South Sudan and ordered the relevant authorities to take all measures required to implement this decision,” SUNA news agency said.