President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar signed an agreement in Khartoum committing to a permanent cease-fire and to resolving outstanding governance issues (Sudan Tribune)
The agreement calls for the release of political prisoners and the formation of a unity government within four months (Al Jazeera)
No Agreements in South Sudan Peace Talks
Peace talks on ending South Sudan’s five-year-long civil war between President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar failed today. A government spokesman said “we have had enough” of Machar, rejecting the possibility of the former vice president returning to the government (Associated Press)
South Sudan Rivals Meet in Ethiopia
Rebel leader Riek Machar arrived in Ethiopia to discuss ending South Sudan’s five-year civil war with President Salva Kiir, the first such meeting since a peace deal broke down in 2016 (Reuters)
South Sudan Talks to Take Place in Addis Ababa
South Sudanese rebel leader Riek Machar accepted an invitation from Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to attend talks with South Sudanese President Salva Kiir in Addis Ababa next week. The talks will mark the first time Machar and Kiir will meet since a peace deal fell apart in August 2016 (Reuters)
South Sudan Asks Ethiopia to Reject Proposed Sanctions
South Sudanese President Salva Kiir, in Addis Ababa yesterday, urged Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to oppose U.S.-drafted sanctions on his country, which the UN Security Council is expected to vote on today (Voice of America)
Aid Workers Abducted in South Sudan, UN Says
Ten humanitarian aid workers are believed to have been abducted by an armed group. They went missing earlier this week during a trip to Central Equatoria region, in the country’s south (New York Times)
U.S. Sanctions Oil Companies in South Sudan
The United States yesterday announced new sanctions on fifteen South Sudanese oil companies in a move designed to increase pressure on President Salva Kiir, who has been accused of using oil companies to funnel money to militias and prolonging the civil war, to end the conflict. In a statement released today, the South Sudanese government said the sanctions, which require companies and government bodies to apply for special licenses to do business in the United States, will undermine efforts to restore peace (Reuters)
Report Claims South Sudan Using Oil Profits to Fund Security Services, Prolong War
A new investigation by a UK-based advocacy group alleges that the state oil and gas company has come under the direct control of President Salva Kiir and his associates, who use it to channel funds to abusive security forces and militias (Global Witness)
Hundreds of Child Soldiers Released in South Sudan
Armed groups have released 87 girls and 224 boys in the second-largest liberation of child soldiers in South Sudan since civil war began four years ago. A total of seven hundred child soldiers are expected to be released in a process overseen by the United Nations (Voice of America)
U.S. Cuts Support to South Sudan’s President
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Hayley said yesterday that the United States is stopping its support for South Sudanese President Salva Kiir, calling him an “unfit partner,” and urged the UN Security Council to support an arms embargo (Associated Press)
South Sudan Cease-Fire Announced
Representatives from South Sudan’s Transitional Government of National Unity and the armed opposition signed a cease-fire in Addis Ababa, seeking to revive a 2015 peace deal that fell apart in 2016 (Sudan Tribune)
U.S. Envoy Pressures South Sudan Over Aid
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley told South Sudanese President Salva Kiir that the United States is “questioning” its aid to the country and that Kiir can’t “deny the stories” of military abuses (Voice of America)
Haley’s visit to a UN camp for internally displaced persons there was disrupted by anti-government protests (Sudan Tribune)
Attack on Government Forces Results in Twenty-Five Deaths
Forces loyal to former South Sudan Vice President Riek Machar attacked government forces and civilians (Al Jazeera)
South Sudan Calls on U.S. to Reconsider Sanctions
South Sudan’s foreign ministry called on Washington to reconsider new sanctions, calling them “very unfortunate.” The U.S. Treasury said the sanctions on two senior officials, as well as a former defense chief and three companies, were imposed because of human rights abuses and obstruction of the country’s peace process (Associated Press)
UN Moves to Protect South Sudan Civilians
UN peacekeepers are working harder to protect South Sudanese civilians, after years of criticism for failing to do so (Reuters)
One Million South Sudanese Refugees Flee to Uganda
The UN announced that one million refugees from South Sudan have crossed the border into Uganda. It also called for more support for the refugees (BBC)
Rebel Forces Recapture Former Headquarters in Northeastern South Sudan
Rebels retook the city of Pagak from South Sudan government forces. Pagak, which has served as the headquarters of the South Sudanese opposition for almost four years, was captured by government forces in early August (Associated Press)
Six Killed in Attack on Bus Convoy in South Sudan
Four civilians and two South Sudanese servicemembers were killed in an attack on a bus convoy traveling between Juba, the capital, and Nimule, a city on the southern border with Uganda (Voice of America)
UN to Deploy Protection Forces to South Sudan
The UN will soon deploy four thousand regional protection forces to South Sudan, according to the head of the UN mission there (Sudan Tribune)
South Sudan Will Not Include Rebel Leader in Peace Process
Riek Machar, a rebel leader in South Sudan, was not invited to participate in a regional peace process, although his representatives will be allowed to attend (Voice of America)
South Sudan Declares State of Emergency in Four States
The president of South Sudan declared a state of emergency in four states that have been the site of clashes between militias since December 2013 (Voice of America)
Eight Foreign and Local Workers Seized by Gunmen in South Sudan
Gunmen seized eight foreign and local workers working for a private company in Juba, the capital, according to the UN. The workers were released two days later after negotiations (ABC News)
South Sudan Deports Three Americans
A South Sudanese police spokesman said that three Americans, reportedly an active-duty servicemember and two military veterans, were deported from South Sudan to Kenya for entering the country without valid visas (Sudan Tribune)
Famine Designation Lifted in South Sudan
Famine has eased in South Sudan’s Unity state, though six million people, about half of the country’s population, are still severely food-insecure, according to Oxfam (Voice of America)
South Sudan Government Bans Foreign Journalists
Media authorities banned twenty foreign journalists from entering the country, accusing them of publishing “unsubstantiated and unrealistic stories” that could incite violence. Neither the names of the journalists nor their outlets were released (Africa News)