South Sudan

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has expressed concerns over the recent clashes in the country, days after it deployed peacekeepers to end violence in Western Lakes state. … “These clashes in areas that have been relatively calm for many months is worrying,” remarked David Shearer, the head of UNMISS.

The South Sudan government wants a referendum to resolve dispute over the number of administrative units that the country should have, placing another hurdle on the path to forming a unitary government come February 2020.

Peacekeepers have been sent to the northern Lakes region in South Sudan in a bid to deter further violence between communities there, the UN Mission in the country, UNMISS, said on Tuesday.

Diplomat's departure comes as South Sudan misses deadline for forming unity government.

A new report says South Sudan’s National Security Service has recruited a force of 10,000 fighters in President Salva Kiir’s ethnic stronghold, in apparent breach of the terms of the country’s peace deal. The report by United Nations experts monitoring sanctions on South Sudan expresses concern over the slow implementation of the fragile deal signed in September 2018 to end five years of civil war that killed nearly 400,000 people.

Community leaders issued an apology on Monday after rioting on 21 November by “drunken youth” within a UN Protection of Civilians site run by UNMISS in South Sudan, left two dead and eight UN personnel injured, including five police officers.

The transitional government, the Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF) and the SPLM-N led by Abdel Aziz al-Hilu had to resume discussions for a peace agreement ending the armed conflicts in Darfur and South Kordofan and Blue Nile State on 21 November. However, the South Sudanese Presidential Adviser Tut Kew Gatluak who mediates the talks announced the postponement of the talks to 10 December.

A total of 190,455 civilians were seeking safety in six Protection of Civilians (PoC) sites located on the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) base as of 7 Nov. 2019, the world body revealed. … Last month, the head of UNMISS, David Shearer said the mission drafted a report together with the humanitarian community in the South Sudan about the future of PoCs, submitted to the Security Council by the Secretary General.

The United States on Wednesday said it was “gravely disappointed” with South Sudan’s failure to form a unity government by a Nov. 12 deadline and would “reevaluate” its relationship with the African nation’s government.

The UN Secretary-General has welcomed the decision to push back the deadline for the formation of a unity Government in South Sudan. … Following a meeting last week in Uganda, held under the auspices of regional body IGAD, the leaders and stakeholders agreed to extend the pre-transitional period by 100 days to allow critical tasks to be completed.