This Week in South Sudan – Week 42

Monday 12 October

• UPDF to withdraw from South Sudan:
  • Government of Uganda: ‘Press statement: UPDF withdrawal from South Sudan Oct 12th 2015’
  • BBC: ‘Ugandan army confirms it will leave South Sudan’
  • Reuters: ‘Uganda says to start troop exit from South Sudan’
  • The Wall Street Journal: ‘Uganda to withdraw troops from South Sudan’
• SPLA (IO) accused government forces of attacking a convoy in Maban county, Upper Nile state.
• South Sudan’s foreign affairs minister, Barnaba Marial Benjamin, says South Sudan is becoming a member of The East African Community (EAC).
• South Sudan army investigates graft of army’s salaries by senior commanders.
• Uganda appoints its Ceasefire Transitional Security Arrangement Monitoring Mechanism (CTSAMM) team to South Sudan.

Tuesday 13 October

• Al Jazeera: ‘Burying the dead in South Sudan’
• IGAD claims President Salva Kiir’s decree creating 28 new states violates the August peace deal.
• South Sudan cabinet approved the expansion of states from 10 to 28.
• The SPLA admits losing control of part of Mundri town in Western Equatoria state in spite of sending reinforcements and waging helicopter attacks against a group of unknown armed militia in the area.
• Dozens of people reported wounded following clashes over a land dispute between the two communities of Rek and Luanyjang in Tonj East County of Warrap State.

Wednesday 14 October

• SPLM/A (IO) warns of collapse of the August peace deal over the decree to expand the number of states.
• Sudan and South Sudan agreed to activate a buffer zone between the two countries and to deploy joint units to monitor the border.

Thursday 15 October

• The Telegraph: ‘South Sudan: The forgotten war in the heart of Africa’
• SPLA (IO) accused government forces of launching attacks on their bases in Rubkona in Unity state, which the government subsequently.

Friday 16 October

• Following an extraordinary meeting in SPLM’s National Liberation Council the party dissolved all its leadership structures, except the position of chairman, which is held by President Salva Kiir.
• An alliance of South Sudan opposition parties petitioned the Supreme Court to halt President Salva Kiir’s decree to expand states from 10 to 28.

Saturday 17 October

• Radio Tamazuj: ‘Explaining the South Sudan peace agreement’
  • Part 10: Is the peace deal a law?
  • Part 11: How is power shared in the states?
  • Part 12: Who will organize elections?
  • Part 12 (#2): Does the ceasefire apply to allied forces?
  • Part 13: What are considered ceasefire violations?

Sunday 18 October

• People loyal to President Salva Kiir claim that the dissolution of SPLMs ruling structures will not affect the implementation of the August peace agreement.
• SPLM/A (IO) leader Riek Machar condemned President Salva Kiir’s recent series of unilateral decisions, accusing the President of ‘acting as if there are no agreements.’