Monday 21 January Inter-communal fighting in a South Sudanese refugee camp in Ethiopia. An unknown number of people were killed or injured, and thousands were displaced. President Kiir replaced the governor of Tonj state Anthony Bol Madut with Mathew Mathiang Magordit, and governor of Western Lakes state Matur Chut with John Deng Mamer. No reason… Read more »
Month: January 2019
The EU-Turkey Refugee Deal Cost Refugees the Most
Note: On 18 March 2016, the EU and Turkey agreed on a deal to stop refugees from crossing the Mediterranean. At that time, Maria Gabrielsen Jumbert and Pinar Tank warned that the agreement was advantageous for Europe and Turkey but not for the refugees whose rights to protection were severely compromised. Three years later the… Read more »
This Week in South Sudan – Week 3
Thursday 17 January The Technical Committee of Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring and Verification Mechanism has not been able to secure a 2019 budget. Major General Desta Abiche Ageno explained that they had received insufficient international donations. President Kiir travelled to Egypt to discuss bilateral cooperation, and he urged the Egyptian president al-Sisi to… Read more »
This Week in South Sudan – Week 2
Tuesday 8 January President Salva Kiir pardoned 48 detainees in prisons in Wau, Juba, Torit, Turalei and Kuacjok. So far, media has reported on releases from Wau, Gogrial in Warrap State and Mayendit in Unity State. South Sudan media regulator ordered national media outlets to ignore ongoing anti-government protests in Khartoum. Wednesday 9 January The… Read more »
Norway Has Chauvinistic Tunnel Vision When It Comes to Congo. The Country Has Great Possibilities.
On 10 December, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Nadia Murad and to Denis Mukwege, a Congolese gynaecologist. For 10 years though, the Norwegian media and politicians, including the prime minister, have viewed the Democratic Republic of the Congo as Joshua French’s prison.* This view derives from a chauvinistic tunnel vision. We will celebrate… Read more »
This Week in South Sudan – Week 1
Wednesday 2 January The African Union Peace and Security Council backed the deployment of an IGAD force within the UN mission in South Sudan despite UN’s reservations of the force’s role in the peace process. Thursday 3 January China donated $7 million to the UN World Food Programme in South Sudan. The money is targeted… Read more »
International Water Cooperation Opens the Door to Peacemaking
Although water is an essential input for agriculture and industrial production, it is also scarce in many regions. When it crosses international borders via shared rivers, lakes and aquifers, it can become a source of conflict and contention. Yet while water can be a source of instability, especially in the face of climate change, it… Read more »