South Sudan

Critics are voicing opposition to an effort by South Sudan to block the establishment of a special court aimed at investigating and prosecuting war crimes in that country. It was announced recently that the government had hired U.S.-based lobbyists to stop the creation of the so-called African Union-South Sudanese hybrid court.

South Sudan President Salva Kiir called on the leader of the main opposition group, SPLM-IO that signed the revitalized peace agreement to return to Juba as soon as possible warning that he would not delay the formation of the transitional government.

South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and his First Vice President-designate Riek Machar have launched a two-day retreat in the Vatican to discuss the implementation of the revitalized peace agreement and ways to overcome the different hindrances.

South Sudan's president and opposition leader are expected to travel to the Vatican next week for what the Holy See says is a "spiritual retreat" and opposition officials say is an effort to help implement the country's peace deal.

The U.N. Security Council renewed a peacekeeping mission in South Sudan for an additional year; while Russia abstained from the vote accusing implicitly the U.S. of not backing the revitalized peace agreement and overburdening the draft resolution with language on human rights issues.

The truce in South Sudan is holding but could break down at any time. To stave off renewed civil war, external actors should urge the belligerents to strike new bargains on security and internal boundaries – and accept a third-party protection force for the capital.

Reports of atrocities in South Sudan despite last year's landmark deal to end the civil war.

September’s UN-backed South Sudan peace agreement is holding and has led to positive change, but tens of thousands of civilians in the war-weary nation are still reliant of life-saving humanitarian assistance, and time is running out. This was the message that David Shearer, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for South Sudan, relayed to the Security Council on Friday.

The leaders of Ethiopia and Eritrea have travelled to South Sudan for high-level talks with President Salva Kiir amid efforts to revive a flagging peace deal struck last year between his government and rebels. The visit on Monday came amid increasing warnings that the deal agreed in September last year to quell South Sudan's war was falling apart and all sides were preparing for fresh fighting.