Month: March 2014

This Week in South Sudan – Week 13

Monday 24 March The South Sudanese government dropped their demand that the former detainees must be excluded from the IGAD peace talks if the talks are to proceed. Clashes between the SPLA and the SPLA-in-Opposition in Nasir County (Upper Nile). Tuesday 25 March Peace talks in Addis Ababa resumed. UN warned of a potential food… Read more »

Last Chance in the Middle East?

This week, an Egyptian court sentenced 529 defendants to death after a two-day trial. Finally, after being mostly silent through more than half a year of brutal repression by Egypt’s military regime, Western governments expressed ‘shock’, judging the sentences to be ‘unacceptable’. Whatever the consequences this farcical trial will have for Western policies towards the… Read more »

“Polite green men”

As the “polite green men” were taking control over the Crimea, another unit of Russian paratroopers landed on the Kotelny island, as TASS proudly reported. More extensive coverage of that high-risk exercise is here. An article in Nezavisimaya argued that “penetration of Greenpeaceniks and radical Islamists is a grave threat to the Russian Arctic“. This… Read more »

Fleeing Conflict in South Sudan

As peace talks in Addis Ababa resumed yesterday, five days later than scheduled owing to disagreements over participation, a political compromise still seems to be in the future. Meanwhile, the humanitarian impact of the conflict intensifies day by day. As the rainy season approaches and transportation becomes increasingly difficult, as many as 4.9 million people… Read more »

This Week in South Sudan – Week 12

Monday 17 March Japan announced that they will provide $1,5million to South Sudan in order to support the peace process. UNMISS prepares for the rainy season and relocated displaced in Juba. The pressure group Justice for Juba four (J4J4) demanded the release of the four detainees charged of treason. Clashes south-west of Rumbek, two SPLA… Read more »

This Week in South Sudan – Week 11

Monday 10 March An anti-UN protest took place in Juba as a response to the discovery of a UN convoy with arms. UN reported that the conflict in South Sudan has caused a record low food-security rate. Salva Kiir denied that he has formed a commission to prepare for SPLM leadership meeting. Tuesday 11 March… Read more »

Facilitating Peace in South Sudan

Yesterday, The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) announced that it will employ a joint East African Protection and Deterrent Force (PDF) as a part of the agreement of cessation of hostilities in South Sudan (see previous blog post). According to the announcement, Ethiopia, Kenya, Burundi and Rwanda, possibly also Djibouti will contribute troops to the… Read more »

Rwanda, Research and the Wisdom of (Non)Responsiveness (or, Email is a Gift Not a Responsibility)

As I prepare for the 20th anniversary of the Rwandan political violence of 1994 (i.e., the genocide, the interstate war, the civil war and the other forms of activity that are not easily named), I am reminded of earlier correspondence and how the modern period conceives of communication as well as what researchers must/need not… Read more »

This Week in South Sudan – Week 10

Monday 3 March UN observed large forces of rebels in support of SPLA/M-in-Opposition in Malakal and expressed fear of new clashes in the area. South Sudan United Democratic Alliances, in Ethiopian exile, stated that they support an interim government whithout Salva Kiir and Riek Machar. Riek Machar presented a list of his desired cabinet for… Read more »