Regional authorities warn that renewed fighting in parts of South Sudan presents a serious danger to humanitarian aid and stability, with at least 50,000 people already displaced by deadly attacks in the Upper Nile and Jonglei states bordering Ethiopia. Workneh Gebeyehu, head of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) in…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
The Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) NGO says it has suspended medical operations in the Pibor community of eastern South Sudan following a recent flare-up in communal violence. Fighting between armed Bor Dinka and Murle groups has escalated over the past 10 days with thousands of people fleeing their…
South Sudan’s leaders are moving forward on the path to peace but “the new government faces a daunting array of challenges that will test its unity,” said David Shearer, the United Nations representative, during updates delivered Wednesday to the UN Security Council. “Our actions can push South Sudan further towards…
The United Nations mission in South Sudan said Tuesday it is sending 75 Nepalese peacekeepers to the Western Lakes region of the country because of continued violence, despite a peace agreement marked by slow implementation and its history of past failures. The decision followed reports that some 80 people have…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
A delegation of the United Nations Security Council in South Sudan, meeting at the weekend with both President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Riek Machar, warned that there are just three weeks left before a November 12 deadline to form their transitional unity government. The deal, brokered through the regional…
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) is acting to stop a troubling trend in sexual attacks on women and girls travelling from villages to the town of Bentiu in the Unity region of the country. Approximately 125 women and girls have sought medical treatment after having been raped…
A Nepalese peacekeeper serving with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) was shot and wounded by a government soldier near the town of Yei at the weekend, raising questions over the country’s fragile new peace agreement. The convoy was travelling from the UN base in Yei to collect water,…
The commanders from three United Nations peacekeeping missions in Africa briefed the UN Security Council on Wednesday on the evolving security challenges they face in their respective roles. Jean‑Paul Deconinck, commander for United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), was joined by Frank Mushyo Kamanzi, the commander of United…
In South Sudan, the SPLM-IO has called shameful the decision to condemn James Gatdet Dak, a former spokesman for exiled opposition leader Riek Machar, to death by hanging on charges of treason. “When the regime should be working to create a conducive environment for negotiations, they are instead handing down…
In South Sudan, 311 child soldiers have been released by armed groups, the United Nations mission in the country said Wednesday. The group including 87 girls marks the first phase of a program at Yambio, in the southwest part of the country, to secure the release of more than 700…
The United Nations needs to “change the way we are doing business” when it comes to peacekeeping operations, because the high-risk environments encountered in today’s conflict zones – especially on the African continent – come with new and greater threats to the traditional mission. That’s the conclusion of a newly…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
Hundreds of South Sudanese are going home to their villages in an Upper Nile region now safe enough for their return, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said Wednesday. Most chose to settle in Melut, a town near the civilian camp where they’ve been living. It is now…
A South Sudan unification deal signed earlier this month in Cairo shows promise in ending the nation’s conflict and humanitarian crisis, but it’s already hitting snags on implementation when it comes to rebuilding the SPLM party split by President Salva Kiir loyalists and exiled opposition leader Riek Machar. Nhial Deng…
Nikki Haley, the United States ambassador to the United Nations, was rushed from a refugee camp in South Sudan after protests broke out and a humanitarian aid office was looted during her visit. Haley, on a three-nation tour in Africa, was evacuated from the camp safely. Images shared by Radio…
The United Nations peacekeeping mission in South Sudan is now under new leadership, with the arrival this week of Lieutenant General Frank Mushyo Kamanzi of Rwanda. Kamanzi will lead a force of 17,000 military personnel from 55 different countries, UNMISS said in a statement. The new commander has nearly 30…