This Week in South Sudan – Week 13

Monday 25 March

• Together with six other detainees, Peter Biar Ajak appeared in court and was charged with insurgency, but they denied the charges against them. Read more about the background for the detention of Ajak in the week 10, 2019, post.
  • The UN appealed to the South Sudan authorities to release Ajak, and stated that “we condemn in the strongest terms Mr. Ajak’s continued detention and urge the South Sudanese authorities to release him immediately”.

Tuesday 26 March

• International ceasefire monitors stated the National Salvation Front (NAS) led by Thomas Cirillo conducted several attacks in Yei River, Central Equatoria.
  • NAS rejected the accusations by the ceasefire monitoring body.
• A deputy spokesman of NAS, Wazil Michael, resigned from the group, saying he did not agree on the group’s “tribal agenda”.
• The Petroleum Ministers from South Sudan and Qatar met to discuss cooperation over their oil and gas industries and about capacity building programs for South Sudanese engineers.

Wednesday 27 March

• South Sudan and the Chinese firm Shandong Hi-Speed Group Co. reached an agreement on the construction of highways in South Sudan.

Thursday 28 March

• The South African Energy Minister Jeff Radabe announced that they are pursuing an oil agreement with South Sudan.

Friday 29 March

• The widow of SPLM founder John Garang, Rebecca Garang, signed the revitalised peace agreement in the presence of IGAD’s special envoy to South Sudan, Ismail Wais.

Sunday 31 March

• South Sudan’s Media Authority ordered the suspension of the Al-Watan newspaper for one month.