South Sudan

[…] “Because of the collective efforts of so many…South Sudan is in a better state”, the head of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), David Shearer, said in his last briefing, after serving as Special Representative for four years.  However, he stated that “it is inching forward – frustratingly slowly – with still so much to do”. 

At least 357,450 South Sudanese refugees have returned home from countries within the region since November 2017, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said.

Extreme violence and attacks involving thousands of fighters at a time have engulfed more than three-quarters of South Sudan, UN human Rights Council-appointed investigators said on Friday, warning that the bloodshed faced by civilians are “the worst recorded” since the country’s civil war began in December 2013.

Ten years after independence, South Sudan is faring poorly, beleaguered by political and socio-economic ills. The civil war’s two main antagonists have an uneasy peace, but others fight on. The country needs a reset rooted in power sharing and devolution of authority from the centre.

Der Einsatz der Soldatinnen und Soldaten der Bundeswehr bei der Mission Unmiss im Südsudan soll bis zum 31. März 2022 verlängert werden. Das hat die Bundesregierung beschlossen. Der Deutsche Bundestag muss dem Beschluss noch zustimmen.

A top South Sudan official denies his government spies on its citizens, dismissing a new Amnesty International report that says otherwise. The report, titled, “These Walls Have Ears,” accuses South Sudan’s government of using electronic surveillance to monitor the conversations of journalists and human rights activists. It is the first report on digital surveillance conducted in the East Africa region.

The United Nations Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, Alice Wairimu Nderitu, welcomed the Government of South Sudan’s approval to establish transitional justice mechanisms, including the African Union Hybrid Court for South Sudan.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced today the appointment of Nicholas Haysom of South Africa as his Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). He will succeed David Shearer of New Zealand, … .

Encouraging signs of progress are reflected in the third report of the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict in South Sudan released today. … Nevertheless, the situation remains concerning and numerous challenges still need to be addressed for the protection of children affected by the ongoing conflict.