South Sudan

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.

[…] During the briefing, the Co-ordinator provided an overview of the findings and recommendations contained in the Panel’s report, noting inter alia that the Panel had observed that the conflict in Sudan has further exacerbated South Sudan’s humanitarian and economic situation, while also reporting on progress and challenges in the implementation of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan.

The UN mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said its peacekeepers facilitated a peace dialogue among feuding communities in the Kidepo Valley area of Eastern Equatoria State in response to seasonal intercommunal violence driven by cattle raids and competition over scarce resources. 

[…] The primary aim of this assessment, therefore, is to consider whether the minimum political and technical preconditions for a peaceful electoral process that would be deemed credible by the people of South Sudan exist and, if not, what political decisions and resources are required to achieve that objective.

[…] The temporary base, UNMISS stated, aims to boost civilian protection, facilitate safe delivery of humanitarian aid, and create a secure environment to help address root causes of longstanding grievances among bordering communities.

The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, and partners on Thursday appealed for $1.4 billion this year to support more than two million South Sudanese refugees in five African countries and local communities hosting them. … South Sudan remains Africa’s largest refugee crisis, UNHCR said.