Gunmen Kill Fifteen People in Eastern Pibor Region
Conflict has been on the rise in South Sudan as it prepares for a national election at the end of the year (Reuters)
Meanwhile, intense heat prompted authorities to close schools this week, with no immediate announcement of when they will reopen; the current heat wave is expected to last at least two weeks (NYT)
South Sudan is highly exposed to extreme climate events including droughts, floods, and extreme temperatures (World Bank)
South Sudanese Refugee Camps Extremely Over Capacity
The United Nations stated that over five hundred and sixty thousand Sudanese have fled to South Sudan; the number of people displaced by civil war has risen to nearly eight million since the beginning of the conflict, and South Sudan is struggling to accommodate the refugees (Al Jazeera)
Opposition Parties Hold Rare Rally in South Sudan
The twelve-party coalition led demonstrations in the capital, Juba, to demand full participation in the country’s first national elections, scheduled for 2024 (AFP)
Thirty-Two People Killed in South Sudan’s Disputed Abyei Region
A UN peacekeeper was among those killed when unknown militants reportedly attacked two villages in the region, which Sudan also claims; intercommunal conflict has increased since South Sudan deployed troops to the disputed territory in March (AP)
UN Condemns Attacks on Aid Workers in South Sudan
Following the killing of a health worker last week, the UN said: “Access constraints, bureaucratic impediments, ongoing violence, and widespread criminality continue to hamper the delivery of humanitarian aid across the country, with more than nine million people in need of assistance” (UN)
UN: 1.6 Million Children in South Sudan At Risk of Malnutrition
The World Food Programme cited flooding and overcrowding as key drivers of a 120 percent increase in the cost of food that has put 1.6 million children under the age of five at risk (AFP)
Meanwhile, the UN said the war in Sudan has “put on hold” talks over the disputed Abyei region that showed signs of progress earlier this year (UN)
South Sudan Asks Chinese Petroleum Company to Boost Output
South Sudan had long planned to transition control of two of its largest oil fields to a state-owned company but said it would renew its contract with the China National Petroleum Corporation if it agreed to boost output; oil production accounts for 90 percent of the government’s revenue (Bloomberg;Sudan Tribune)
UN Human Rights Commission Accuses South Sudan of Violations
The commission’s report says the National Security Service has intimidated and attacked media and civil society domestically and abroad, undermining the country’s democratic transition (AP)
South Sudan Discusses Closer Ties with Russia
South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Moscow and agreed to expand their energy and trade relationship, particularly through Russian participation in the development of oil refineries (AP)
South Sudan Political Faction Walks Out of Parliament in Protest
South Sudan’s political transition faces another challenge after one faction of the unity government protested the passage of the National Election Act, which it claims paves the way for an “undemocratic, unfair and not credible” vote; President Salva Kiir has pledged to hold the country’s first presidential election by December 2024, but the UN Envoy warned that conditions are not yet conducive to “peaceful, inclusive and credible elections” (AFP)
South Sudanese Flee Sudan as Conflict Worsens
Hundreds of thousands of South Sudanese people who fled to Sudan to escape civil war years ago are returning home as the violence in Sudan persists (NYT)
United States Issues Business Advisory for South Sudan
The advisory issued by the Biden administration urges U.S. businesses and citizens to exercise caution when doing business in the country due to regional problems with corruption and human rights abuses (Reuters)
South Sudan President Fires Finance Minister
A spokesperson pointed to the depreciating South Sudanese pound as the reason for the decision; the dismissal continues a string of abrupt cabinet member replacements (Reuters)
Extreme Weather Drives Unprecedented Hunger in South Sudan
The World Food Programme said South Sudan has suffered both flooding and drying of arable land, leaving two-thirds of the population facing crisis levels of hunger or worse (Africa News)
UN: South Sudan Running Out of Time to Meet Election Timeline
The UN mission in South Sudan said the country faces “a race against time” to hold credible elections in 2024 as planned; surging inter-communal violence and conflict to the north in Sudan threaten to derail stabilization efforts (UN)
Reduction in UK Foreign Aid Budget Will Increase Malnutrition, Maternal Death Across Africa
A drastic cut in the United Kingdom’s (UK) foreign aid budget for this year is expected to result in as many as three thousand child malnutrition-related deaths in South Sudan and more than one thousand maternal deaths across Africa, according to an internal analysis (FT)
1,000 People Per Day Returning Home to South Sudan
According to the UN, more than 100,000 South Sudanese have returned since the outbreak of fighting in Sudan in April (VOA)
South Sudan to Tighten Border with Sudan
South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir directed governors to impose stricter border control measures to prevent armed groups from operating across borders and maintain law and order as fighting spreads in Sudan (Sudan Tribune)
UN: South Sudan Not Ready for Free and Fair Elections
The head of the UN mission in South Sudan pointed to the lack of an electoral body and political parties council as reasons for skepticism and called on the government to make significant strides toward providing adequate resources and improving the political environment before the planned December 2024 election (ABC)
South Sudan’s Current President to Run in 2024 General Elections
Salva Kiir, who has led the country since its independence in 2011, accepted the ruling party’s nomination as its candidate for the long-delayed elections; he is expected to face off with First Vice President Riek Machar, who has yet to declare his candidacy (ABC)
UN Envoy: South Sudan Lacks Resources to Absorb Newcomers
Nicholas Haysom said the influx of people, 93 percent of whom are returning South Sudanese, has strained resources in the country and said the conflict in Sudan serves as a warning of how quickly peace can unravel (AP)
CNN: Children Die Daily in South Sudan Border Camp
On a visit to Renk transit camp, CNNreports that an influx of refugees fleeing violence in Sudan has worsened the humanitarian crisis, and aid agencies lack the resources to feed people as an impending rainy season threatens even worse conditions (CNN)
South Sudan Peace Deal Implementation Stalling
The country has not drafted a permanent constitution, conducted a census, or combined forces into a national army, raising fears that the government lacks the political will to implement the deal and hold elections in eighteen months as planned (AP)
Violence in South Sudan Camp Kills Twenty
The fighting, which broke out in a UN camp for displaced people, occurred between members of the Nuer and Shilluk ethnic groups, highlighting persistent tensions five years on from the 2018 peace deal (VOA)
UN Security Council Extends Sanctions on South Sudan for One Year
The measures include asset freezes, travel bans, and an arms embargo; however, the three African members of the Security Council spoke out against the sanctions, calling them counterproductive while abstaining from the vote (UN)