Tuesday 16 January The SPLA (IO)-appointed governor of Central Equatoria, Mario Laku Thomas, has defected to the National Salvation Front led by Thomas Cirillo. Laku claimed he took more than 90 SPLA (IO) soldiers with him. Wednesday 17 January According to a new report by the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring Mechanism, SPLA soldiers… Read more »

Tuesday 9 January Reports of clashes between government and SPLA (IO) forces in the Wunu’Lyet area, 10km outside Juba. Wednesday 10 January General Thomas Cirillo, leader of The National Salvation Front, denied reports that he has agreed with the exiled and former SPLA chief of staff, Paul Malong to form a coalition to fight President… Read more »

Tuesday 2 January The Troika (the US, the UK and Norway) called on the armed factions to end all military operations, while threatening to impose individual or group sanctions on those violating the December 2017 cessation of hostility agreement. Radio Tamazuj Factbox: “Protection camp populations in South Sudan” Wednesday 3 January The SPLA claims opposition… Read more »

Tuesday 19 December Clashes reported in Lasu area, Central Equatoria State as diplomats began another round of IGAD-led peace talks in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Wednesday 20 December Volunteers from the “Remembering the Ones We Lost” project continue to gather the names of South Sudan’s uncounted war victims, as the conflict’s official death toll remains unknown…. Read more »

The IGAD-led High Level Revitalization Forum concluded its first phase on 21 December with an Agreement on Cessation of Hostilities, Protection of Civilians and Humanitarian Access. The agreement was signed by the various conflict parties, including GoSS and SPLM (IO), and came into force on 24 December. However, clashes between government and SPLA (IO) forces in… Read more »

Dear Readers, please note that there will be no news update next week. We will be back on Tuesday 2 January with a two-week TWISS update for week 51 and 52. Tuesday 12 December Reuters on the situation in Ganyiel, Unity State: “In war-torn South Sudan, one town nurtures a small-scale peace” Wednesday 13 December… Read more »

Tuesday 5 December South Sudan still owes Sudan USD $1.3 billion to settle an oil agreement from 2012 according to former deputy finance minister Mou Ambrose Riiny Thiik. Thiik was removed from his position after he stated that GoSS is unable to pay its civil servants due to empty state coffers. GoSS later promised to… Read more »

Tuesday 28 November The US threatens to take further action against GoSS if it do not end violence and allow UNMISS to carry out their mission. US diplomat Nikki Haley tells the UN Security Council “words are no longer sufficient.” GoSS welcomed the announcement by the Government of Kenya that all citizens from East African… Read more »

Tuesday 21 November Conflicting reports over clashes in Ayod area, Jonglei State. SPLM (IO) rejected the recent reunification deal between SPLM and SPLM Former Detainees (SPLM-FD) signed in Cairo, Egypt. Pagan Amum denies that the SPLM (IO) is excluded from the process, saying that this is part of the implementation of the Arusha agreement.  Wednesday… Read more »

Monday 13 November The President of Sudan, Omar Hassan al-Bashir, arrived in Kampala for a two-day state visit to met with his Ugandan counter part, President Yoweri Museveni to discuss, amongst other things, the situation in South Sudan.  Tuesday 14 November Following diplomatic pressure from the US, the Government of South Sudan (GoSS) has promised… Read more »