United States to South Sudan: Shape Up or Lose Support
In a statement, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of African Affairs warned the South Sudanese government that it would lose American financial and diplomatic backing unless the Kiir administration takes immediate steps to properly allocate revenue, curb corruption, and cooperate with Washington’s immigration policies (State)
Dozens Dead in Horrific Ruse
After luring civilians from their homes with the promise of humanitarian assistance, a militant group linked to the South Sudanese government massacred dozens—including women and children—at point-blank range in the embattled Jonglei state (AP)
WFP Ramps Up Aid Amid Hunger, Conflict
Describing “catastrophic levels of hunger” in unstable Jonglei state, the World Food Programme announced it is expanding humanitarian operations for displaced civilians while preparing to resume convoys entering Jonglei state—a series of efforts the group said will require hundreds of millions of dollars (WFP USA)
Kiir Names Deceased Opposition Leader to New Committee
Among the seventy names tapped to join a preparation committee ahead of South Sudan’s elections this December, one stood out: Steward Sorobo Budia, an opposition politician who died five years ago (BBC)
According to analysts, President Salva Kiir’s mistake highlights the pitfalls of his internal purges and self-imposed isolation, as civil conflict once again threatens to engulf his country in chaos (NYT)
Hunger, Violence Threaten Displaced South Sudanese
Hundreds of thousands of displaced civilians in central South Sudan continue to face violence and malnutrition as government forces and rebel militias have renewed their battle for control in the country’s Jonglei state (AFP)
“Lost Boy” Sentenced to Prison, Probation
After his plot to overthrow South Sudan’s government unraveled, former refugee and renowned peace activist Peter Biar Ajak—a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University—found himself in federal court facing charges for his attempts at fraud and weapons smuggling (NYT)
U.S. Judge Retains Immigration Protections
In a ruling against the Trump administration’s attempt to revoke temporary deportation protection from South Sudanese nationals, a U.S. district judge said the Department of Homeland Security could not uniformly shutter such programs without well-founded reasoning (Reuters)
Attacks, Looting Sever Humanitarian Lifelines
As displaced civilians in South Sudan become increasingly dependent on international aid, government and rebel forces alike continue to target medical facilities and humanitarian convoys with armed attacks and banditry (Al Jazeera)
Aid Workers, Convoys Under Threat
Doctors Without Borders described an increasingly untenable situation in South Sudan, where it said a government strike on a hospital in Jonglei state left several of its aid workers missing as of Thursday (BBC)
The attack comes on the heels of the UN’s announcement that it would suspend food aid in pockets of Upper Nile state after “repeated attacks” on a humanitarian convoy (UN)
Army Commander Proposes Separate State for Nuer Community
Johnson Olony, deputy army chief for disarmament and mobilization and the leader of the Agwelek militia, proposed the creation of a separate state for the Nuer community while meeting with Jonglei governor Riak Gai Kok; Olony proposed the idea as a means of preventing civilians from unnecessarily engaging in conflict and ending ongoing ethnic violence (Sudans Post)
South Sudan Army Launches Operations Against Opposition Forces
Army spokesman Lul Ruoai Kuong announced the start of Operation Enduring Peace to recapture towns taken by opposition forces and ordered the evacuation of civilians and aid groups from Jonglei State; the announcement came one day after a senior army commander was filmed encouraging troops to kill civilians in the Jonglei offensive (AP)
South Sudan Orders Evacuations Ahead of Military Operation
South Sudan’s military ordered civilians, UN personnel, and aid workers to evacuate three counties in Jonglei State ahead of an imminent operation against the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-in-Opposition (Reuters)
UN Warns of Atrocity Risk After General’s Remarks
General Johnson Oluny, South Sudan’s deputy army chief, sparked human rights concerns after he commanded troops to “spare no one — the elderly, children, birds, or leave no house standing” ahead of Juba’s push into the embattled Jonglei state (BBC)
Gunmen Kill Four in South Sudan’s Unity State
Unidentified gunmen killed four civilians in an ambush on a cattle camp in Unity State (Sudans Post)
Army Chief Sets Tight Deadline
General Dr. Paul Nang Majok gave South Sudanese soldiers just one week to “finish the mission” in the country’s embattled east, where a newly active rebel insurgency threatens to destabilize Juba (BBC)
South Sudan President Removes Interior Minister
President Salva Kiir dismissed Interior Minister Angelina Teny, the wife of detained opposition leader Riek Machar, and appointed veteran loyalist Aleu Ayieny Aleu (AP)
South Sudan Opposition Forces Urge Advance on Juba
After capturing the strategic town of Pajut, the Sudan People’s Liberation Army–In Opposition (SPLA‑IO) urged its forces to advance toward Juba, the capital of South Sudan; the United Nations condemned the renewed offensive as a violation of the 2018 peace agreement (Reuters)
UN Effort Calls for $1.5 Billion Aid Package
Citing acute ecological and economic crises, the UN and its humanitarian partners announced a campaign to raise $1.5 billion in aid by the end of this year (UN)
Internal SPLA-IO Clashes Kill Five
Internal fighting within the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-in-Opposition between Division 4B forces and armed youth killed at least five people at a base in Unity State (Sudans Post)
United States Halts Aid in Eastern South Sudan
Alleging that local actors have prevented aid from reaching its intended recipients through “continued abuse, exploitation, and theft,” State Department officials announced an immediate suspension of U.S. aid to Ayod county in central Jonglei state (U.S. Embassy Juba)
South Sudan Army Takes Control of Bentiu Camp
South Sudan’s People Defense Forces seized full control of the Bentiu internally displaced peoples camp in Unity State after a brief but heavy clash forced the withdrawal of Sudan’s People’s Liberation Army-in-Opposition (Sudans Post)
MSF Evacuates Staff From Jonglei Facility After Nearby Airstrikes
Medecins Sans Frontiers evacuated key staff from its healthcare facility in Lankien, Jonglei State, after nearby airstrikes wounded civilians and killed one patient (MSF)
Separately, a court order from a U.S. district judge in Massachusetts has prevented the Trump administration from revoking Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for South Sudanese migrants (AP)
The decision applies to roughly 230 individuals whose protections were set to expire in early January (NYT)
South Sudan Officials Urge Troops to Withdraw From Civilian Areas
Local officials in Jonglei State urged the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-in-Opposition to remove forces from civilian areas in Lo Nuer communities after recent clashes in Waat raised fears of further civilian harm (Sudans Post)
Western Leaders Warn Changes Are Needed
International diplomats issued a joint statement warning that the South Sudanese crisis could reach a “breaking point” unless Juba resumed peace talks and returned to the 2018 power-sharing agreement ahead of general elections slated for December 2026 (AP)
South Sudan Grounds UN Aircraft
South Sudan grounded four aircraft operated by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, accusing the group of illegal surveillance and smuggling, allegations the UN denied (AP)
Separately, investigative reporting found the Trump administration ignored warnings about the immediate ramifications of its foreign aid cuts in South Sudan; cholera continues to ravage the country (ProPublica)
In recent days, Washington threatened to cut foreign aid unless Juba stopped the alleged taxation of humanitarian aid shipments (Reuters)