Südsudan

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.

Representatives of South Sudan’s parties to the 2018 revitalized peace agreement have agreed to end the prolonged stalemate on formation of states governments and reconstitution of the National Legislative Assembly. A meeting convened by President Salva Kiir on Wednesday in Juba agreed to a complete formation of unity government.

Amnesty International is urging the United Nations Security Council to renew its arms embargo on South Sudan, saying violence, atrocities and war crimes against civilians have quadrupled this year despite a cease-fire and formation of a unity government in February. 

The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) has hailed South Sudan government for recently adopting inclusive policies to enable the safe return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees living in the neighboring countries.