At least twenty persons perished in South Sudan’s Warrap State as a result of persistent severe floods. Victor Wek Gogrial West County Commissioner told The EastAfrican on Friday that the majority of those slaughtered were children and women. “Since the rains began in July, these deaths have been reported. And drowning is the leading cause … Read more
At least 40 Afghans have entered South Sudan without following the required legal procedures according to the country’s immigration authorities. Addressing sector commanders on Tuesday morning in Juba, Gen Atem Marol, who heads South Sudan’s Immigration, Passports and Civil Registry, said the refugees entered the country illegally. “My office noticed that there are Afghans who … Read more
South Sudan President, Salva Kiir, has criticized the recent coup attempt in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum. President Kiir requested Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok to bring individuals behind the overthrow strategy accountable in a press statement seen by The EastAfrican on Thursday. “On Tuesday morning, the government of South Sudan got tragic news of a military … Read more
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, at least 380,000 people from six states in South Sudan have been displaced by flash floods and repeated rounds of intercommunal conflicts (UNOCHA). Flooding, violence, food insecurity, and Covid-19, according to a humanitarian snapshot seen by The EastAfrican, exacerbated people’s humanitarian needs in … Read more
By Mbafan Ade – Despite regional administrations’ best attempts to attain food security through sophisticated plans and regulations, the region continues to be food insecure. Drought, insufficient rainfall, violence, locust invasion, and the repercussions of Covid-19 have all delayed agricultural activities in Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Somalia, which are all confronting varied … Read more
The African Telecommunications Union (ATU) has welcomed its 49th member state after the Republic of South Sudan was officially admitted into the Union through an announcement made in Nairobi Kenya at the ATU Headquarters. South Sudan will be joining 48 other African countries and 54 ICT companies under the ATU umbrella. As a specialized agency of … Read more
South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has fired his foreign minister Beatrice Khamisa Wani, replacing her with Mayiik Ayii Deng who once served as minister for presidential affairs. Khamisa, who was appointed last year when the transitional unity government was formed, was relieved of her duties through a presidential decree Thursday evening aired on state broadcaster … Read more
Truck drivers’ strike at Elegu border post on the Uganda-South Sudan border has entered the second week, interrupting the flow of goods to South Sudan and raising fears the Juba may soon run short of supplies. The truck drivers are protesting against frequent attacks on the Juba-Yei road, as well as the Juba-Nimule- road leading … Read more
On Monday, security troops patrolled Juba, the capital of South Sudan, and many shops were closed as authorities warned of a harsh crackdown on anyone preparing to participate in a planned protest against the government. Since its independence in 2011, the world’s newest nation has been plagued by chronic instability, causing a coalition of civil … Read more
By Kwanta Douglas – South Sudanese President Salva Kiir arrived in Ethiopia on Thursday on an official visit. He met Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in the capital Addis Ababa to discuss the countries’ ties. “The focus of his visit was to discuss key bilateral and regional issues of mutual concern,” Billene Seyoum, spokesperson for PM … Read more
Uganda and South Sudan are in talks over the growing number of deadly ambushes targeting transit trucks on South Sudanese territory. According to a statement released by Uganda’s ministry of foreign affairs, Okello Oryem, Uganda’s minister of state in charge of international affairs, is in Juba, South Sudan’s capital, to discuss ending the ambushes with … Read more
Sudan and South Sudan have agreed to open their borders after 11 years of negotiations. According to President Salva Kiir’s administration, this came following a meeting between South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok. The diplomatic meeting in Juba also resolved the reopening of water transit, according to a press statement … Read more
South Sudan President Salva Kiir, on Wednesday, ordered a halt to the fighting between forces loyal to Vice President Riek Machar and a splinter group that threatens the country’s fragile peace process. Kiir’s office said in a statement that the Presidency strongly directs for the immediate cessation of hostilities between the forces under the command … Read more
South Sudan’s first Vice President, Riek Machar, has accused opposing military commanders of attempting to sabotage the country’s peace process by announcing his deposition as party and armed forces head. On Wednesday, the military wing of President Salva Kiir’s SPLM/A-IO movement announced that Machar had been ousted. Machar had aided in pushing his partner, President … Read more
After ten turbulent and often murderous years of independence, a coalition of South Sudanese civil society organizations has begun a public campaign to demand political reform, declaring “We have had enough.” The world’s newest country has struggled to recover from a civil war that broke out only two years after its founding in 2011, and … Read more
The United Nations on Monday demanded an end to extrajudicial killings in South Sudan after the grisly execution of at least 42 people, including boys, in lawless parts of the troubled country. Some were executed in front of their families and others left bound to trees in a spate of gruesome lynchings in a country … Read more
South Sudan’s First Vice President, Riek Machar, called on President Salva Kiir on Thursday to expedite the allocation of funds to critical institutions within the transitional unity government in order for them to carry out their mandate and consolidate peace. “The president (Kiir) has to go through the (peace) agreement listing all institutions that are … Read more
South Sudan’s Council of Ministers have concluded that there would be no official celebrations for the country’s 10th independence anniversary on Friday as covid-19 cases increase. The council also postponed the arranged swearing-in of the new transitional legislature from Friday to a date yet to be announced. In an unusual sitting presided by President Salva … Read more
Uganda and Kenya have teamed up to rehabilitate and connect the old metre gauge railway line to seamlessly link the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan. Officials of the two countries met this week to thrash out operational details of the project, which apparently targets the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan markets. … Read more
Energy Capital & Power (ECP, formerly Africa Oil & Power) has announced the official confirmation of several high-profile sponsors for the fourth edition of its national energy conference, South Sudan Oil & Power (SSOP) 2021. Returning to Juba on 29-30 June 2021, and in partnership with the Ministry of Petroleum, the Ministry of Energy and … Read more
South Sudan’s government has lifted Coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions as the number of infections continues to decline, according to a senior official. Hussein Abdelbagi Akol, Vice President for service cluster and chair of the country’s national task force, said the decision to lift the COVID-19 partial lockdown was taken because of the low infection rate in … Read more
South Sudan’s Covid-19 vaccination drive kicked off Tuesday with health workers getting their first dose of the AstraZeneca jab at Juba Teaching Hospital. The first person in the country to be vaccinated against the virus was Elizabeth Achuei, the Minister of Health. According to the Ministry of Health, all frontline health workers in South Sudan will be offered … Read more
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said Tuesday it plans to reduce troop numbers by seven percent this year, due to a drop in violence in the conflict-torn country. UNMISS chief David Shearer said the drawdown is also a result of UN troops withdrawing from camps where civilians had sought protection during the … Read more
South Sudan retired Catholic Archbishop Paulino Lukudu Loro died on Monday morning at the Kenyan capital Nairobi, current archbishop Stephen Ameyu has confirmed. The Archbishop Emeritus Lukudu suffered a short illness and died at the age of 81. Archbishop Ameyu declared four days of mourning. “I your shepherd by God’s will and design, bring to … Read more
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Wednesday approved a disbursement of $174.2 million to South Sudan under the Rapid Credit Facility (RCF) to address Covid-19 pandemic-related effects to the economy. The IMF executive board approved the fund which is the second financial assistance to South Sudan since it joined the international financial institution in 2012. … Read more
South Sudan’s Fifth Vice President has contracted the novel coronavirus, her press office has confirmed. In a Facebook post seen by The EastAfrican on Friday, Vice President Rebecca Nyandeng De Mabior, who is also in charge of the Gender and Youth cluster in the unity government, said she decided to get tested after exhibiting symptoms. “She is … Read more
The United Nations Security Council on Monday extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) until March 15, 2022 after the unanimous adoption of resolution 2567 (2021). In a press statement seen by The EastAfrican on Wednesday, the Council also demanded all parties in South Sudan’s conflict and other armed actors to immediately … Read more
An international charity warned on Thursday that South Sudanese are facing life-threatening food shortages following last year’s drop in harvests. Robert Mardini, the Director-General, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), said this in a statement issued in Juba. The ICRC said in its latest assessment that communities in nine out of 10 states harvested … Read more
At least ten people, including the two pilots, died when a plane crashed at an airstrip in South Sudan’s Jonglei state, the region’s governor and the airline said. The airline said all aboard the commercial plane died late afternoon Tuesday when it took off from the airstrip at Pieri on a return flight to Juba. … Read more
An upsurge of malaria and diarrhoea cases has been reported in several villages in the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA), with hard-hit facilities reeling under a biting shortage of drugs. Dr. Abdelrobu Mohammed, Director of the Primary Health Care Department in the area, told Radio Tamazuj on Monday that they record over 800 cases of … Read more