South Sudan

South Sudan’s opposition and civil society groups, currently negotiating a political deal with their government in Nairobi, say they want the talks to lead to a new constitution so that the country can start from a clean slate.

[…] Resolution 2731 (2024) … was adopted by a recorded vote of 9 votes in favour (Ecuador, France, Japan, Malta, Republic of Korea, Slovenia, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States) to none against, with 6 abstentions (Algeria, China, Guyana, Mozambique, Russian Federation and Sierra Leone).

South Sudan government and rebel opposition groups on Thursday signed a commitment declaration for lasting peace.

South Sudan is facing an economic meltdown that could bring not only hardship but also political turmoil to a country already wracked with both. The civil war in Sudan has severely disrupted oil exports, depriving South Sudanese coffers of petrodollars, the government’s main source of revenue. 

[…] According to the UN relief agency, this year’s humanitarian appeal for South Sudan remains severely underfunded, which is challenging response efforts. It also noted that only 11 percent of the $1.8 billion required has been received to date.

A new report by a United Nations Panel of Experts on South Sudan has accused the Juba government of a potential breach of an arms embargo imposed on it in 2018 after it appeared to have made additional efforts to procure weapons.

Some 1.33 million South Sudanese refugees have spontaneously returned home since the signing of a revitalized peace agreement in October 2018 to March 31, 2024, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said on Wednesday. … According to the UNHCR, the majority of the March returnees came from Sudan and Ethiopia.

South Sudan’s peace talks between the government and the hold-out groups will begin on May 10 in Nairobi, signaling a new step to end perennial disruptions to the country’s rebuilding.

The Security Council today extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) for one year, until 30 April 2025, maintaining its force levels to cope with the continuing political, security and humanitarian challenges in the African country. … The resolution also details the Mission’s electoral assistance to the Government of South Sudan and other relevant parties … .

The UN’s top humanitarian official in South Sudan has urged the government to lift newly imposed taxes and charges that are causing aid deliveries to be suspended, affecting tens of thousands of people.