This Week in South Sudan 23-28 Dec. & Week 1

Dec 23-28^th

• Opinion piece in Radio Tamazuj by PRIO Global Fellow Luka Biong Deng: South Sudan: Who to arrest, detain, search and seize?

• US President, Barack Obama, announced on Dec 23^rd that South Sudan will be dropped from the AGOA trade benefit program with US markets as of Jan 1^st 2015.

• China’s UN Peacekeeping troop deployment to South Sudan in January was announced on Dec 23^rd, the same day as the state-owned China National Petroleum Corporation proclaimed a new deal with the South Sudan government.

• Uganda’s president, Yoweri Museveni, said on Dec. 26^th he would pull troops out of South Sudan only if regional forces secured its capital Juba from rebel attack.

• According to Lake state authorities on Dec 27^th, at least 53 people were killed and many others wounded in inter-clan clashes in Lakes state’s Rumbek East county.

Week 1

Monday 29 December

• Following long negotiations, U.N. reopened the Nile delivery route which runs through a border area of high military activity,to bring food-assistance to South Sudan.
• Northern Bahr el Ghazal governor appoints six new cabinet members following a major reshuffle.

Tuesday 30 December          

• The SPLA-IO accused government forces of killing nearly 20 civilians in separate attacks in Unity state in the past three weeks.

Wednesday 31 December

• A bombing in Raja County, in Western Bahr al Ghazal state resulted in at least 16 injured and an unconfirmed number of dead. The state government accused the Sudanese government of carrying out the attack.

Thursday 1 January

• South Sudan will hold general elections between May and July according to the president’s press secretary, Ateny Wek Ateny.

Friday 2 January

• Representative from UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) report that tensions are rising and food supplies threatened, as displaced and armed pastoralists migrate onto lands occupied by farming communities, and millions of cattle are displaced.

Saturday 3 January

• South Sudan’s oil revenues were $3.38 bln. in 2014, which have been significantly lowered  due to the conflict and reduced international prices.

Sunday 4 January

• According to a rebel spokesperson, at least six civilians died in clashes between government forces and the SPLA-IO near Bentiu, Unity state.
• SPLM-IO leader Riek Machar, appointed senior military commanders to lead the rebel forces in different parts of South Sudan.
• Sudan’s National Election Commission (NEC) announced terms and procedures for nomination for the presidency and national proportional representation constituencies in the upcoming national elections.

Monday 5 January

• Clashes erupt between government forces and SPLA-IO at Unity oilfield north of Bentiu.
• South Sudanese officials declined to explain a $33 million contract discrepancy between the Ministry of Information and the Chinese telecommunications company ZTE.