This Week in South Sudan – Week 35

Monday 25 August

• The UN condemned the detention of the ceasefire monitors in Unity State.
• East African leaders set a new deadline for the South Sudan peace talks.
• The warring parties in South Sudan signed a new peace deal.
• Salva Kiir agreed to have a prime minister position in the transitional government.
• Uganda and Ethiopia demanded that non-armed parties are included in the South Sudan peace talks.
• South Sudan’s parliament voted to remove the Lakes State governor.
• The South Sudan parliament removed 23 members who are in conflict with the government.

Tuesday 26 August

• Three people were killed in a UN helicopter crash near Bentiu (Unity State). The Russian owner said the helicopter was shot down.
• The UN welcomed the approval of a humanitarian corridor between Sudan and South Sudan.
• A UN journalist in Wau was detained by the South Sudan national security forces.
• The SPLA-in-Opposition denied shooting down the UN helicopter in Unity State.
• Northern Bahr el Ghazal’s parliament re-opened after three months recess.
• The UN reported that one in seven people are displaced in South Sudan.

Wednesday 27 August

• The Security Council condemned the downing of the UN helicopter
• The SPLM/A-in-Opposition claimed it did not sign the South Sudan Peace ‘Matrix’.
• The SPLM/A-in-Opposition accused IGAD of bias towards Salva Kiir.
• Salva Kiir removed the second deputy governor of the Bank of South Sudan.
• Violence broke out in Rumbek.
• South Sudanese in Uganda decried lack of democracy in South Sudan.

Thursday 28 August

• The SPLM/A-in-Opposition said there will be no lasting peace as long as Salva Kiir is leading the government.
• The South Sudanese government claimed the prime minister position was given to the opposition by IGAD, not by the SPLM.
• SPLM Juba held a leadership meeting.
• The Upper House of the National Council of States announced that Greater Juba will be divided into eleven new counties.
• The UN suspended all flights to Bentiu.
• The South Sudan Presidency refuted claims that lack of democracy has forced people to flee the country.

Friday 29 August

• MSF reported that Cholera has gone down, but malaria and parasitic diseases increase.
• South Sudan’s Upper House of parliament agreed to create five new counties in Central Equatoria.
• The SPLA/M-in-Opposition warned that if the peace talks do not give results, South Sudan will see a full scale civil war.

Saturday 30 August

• IGAD mediator insisted that the SPLM/A-in-Opposition has signed the peace Matrix.
• Lakes State chiefs and elders protested against the governor.
• South Sudanese academics called for an open debate on federalism.
• The investigation committee established by the South Sudan government to investigate the violence in Jonglei arrived in Bor.
• The former political detainees demanded 25% of positions in a power sharing government.

Sunday 31 August

• Displaced in South Sudan called for a government without Riek Machar and Salva Kiir.
• Kiir warned that the SPLA-in-Opposition can be a regional security threat.