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South Sudan receives about 10,000 refugees fleeing Sudan fighting

South Sudan receives about 10,000 refugees fleeing Sudan fighting

AROUND 10,000 refugees have entered South Sudan from Sudan in recent days fleeing fighting between the army and paramilitary forces, officials in South Sudan's Renk County said. About 6,500 crossed the border on Saturday and another 3,000 on Sunday, and more were arriving on Monday, county commissioner Kak Padiet told Reuters. The army commander in Renk, Dau Aturjong, said three-quarters of the arrivals are South Sudanese while the rest are Sudanese, Eritrean, Kenyan, Ugandan and Somali. Sudan hosts 800,000 South Sudanese refugees who have fled long-running conflicts there. South Sudan gained its independence from its northern neighbour in 2011. "It…
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South Sudan president holds ‘frank deliberations’ with vice president

South Sudan president holds ‘frank deliberations’ with vice president

SOUTH Sudan President Salva Kiir held "frank deliberations" with opposition leader First Vice President Riek Machar on Friday, the minister of presidential affairs said, a week after Kiir breached a peace agreement by sacking two top security ministers. The meeting was held in a collegial spirit but ended in deadlock, Machar's office said in a statement. Kiir fired defence minister Angelina Teny, who is also Machar's wife, and interior minister Mahmoud Solomon last Friday moves that threaten to unravel a fragile peace agreement that ended the 2013-18 civil war. The president also handed the defence ministry to his party, a role which,…
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UK sanctions ‘global violators of women’s rights’

UK sanctions ‘global violators of women’s rights’

BRITAIN announced a package of sanctions against what they described as 'global violators of women's rights' based in Iran, Syria, the Central African Republic and South Sudan. The asset freezes and travel bans were introduced on International Women's Day, applying to four individuals, including military figures accused of overseeing rape. An Iranian government institution was also sanctioned. "These sanctions send a clear message that the perpetrators of abhorrent gender-based violence must be held accountable," foreign minister James Cleverly said in an emailed statement. "We are increasing our efforts to stand up for women and girls, and will use all the…
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South Sudan president fires two ministers

South Sudan president fires two ministers

SOUTH Sudan President Salva Kiir has sacked two top security ministers, violating the terms of a peace agreement with opposition party leader First Vice President Riek Machar. Kiir fired the country's defence minister Angelina Teny, who is also Machar's wife, and interior minister Mahmoud Solomon in a presidential order read on state TV late on Friday, Lily Martin Manyiel, the President's spokesperson said on Saturday. "There is no reason I can give you right now" for their sacking but "it's a normal procedure usually," Manyiel said, adding that no decision had yet been made on their replacements. Kiir and Machar's…
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South Sudan’s oil and water give it bargaining power – but will it benefit the people?

South Sudan’s oil and water give it bargaining power – but will it benefit the people?

SOUTH Sudan has long been one of east Africa’s most unstable states. But surging external interest in its resources and the diplomatic agility of its rulers are again underlining how pivotal the country remains to regional energy and water politics. Much of Africa has spent 2022 facing sharp increases in the costs of energy and food driven by the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the strengthening of the US dollar. Authors HARRY VERHOEVEN, Senior Research Scholar at the Center on Global Energy Policy, Columbia University FRANCOIS SENNESAEL, DPhil Candidate, Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Oxford For states that have…
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SUDAN; Pope calls for end of “blind fury of violence”

SUDAN; Pope calls for end of “blind fury of violence”

PHILIP PULLELLA and WAAKHE SIMON WUDU POPE Francis urged the people of South Sudan to resist the "venom of hatred" so they could achieve the peace and prosperity that have eluded them through years of bloody ethnic conflicts. In his last public engagement before flying home, Francis presided at an open-air Mass on the grounds of a mausoleum for South Sudan's liberation hero John Garang, who died in 2005. The Vatican said 100,000 people attended the Mass. The 86-year-old pope wove his homily around the themes that have dominated his trip to the world's newest nation -- reconciliation and mutual forgiveness…
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Protect, advance women for a better South Sudan, pope says

Protect, advance women for a better South Sudan, pope says

PHILIP PULLELLA POPE Francis joined other Christian leaders and the U.N. in urging the protection and advancement of women in South Sudan, where rape has been a weapon of war, child brides are common and most girls do not reach secondary education. The rights of girls and women was a recurring theme on the penultimate day of the pope's visit to South Sudan, an unprecedented joint "pilgrimage of peace" with Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and Church of Scotland Moderator Iain Greenshields. "Please, protect, respect, appreciate and honour every woman, every girl, young woman, mother and grandmother. Otherwise, there will…
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Pope’s plea to Sudan’s leaders

Pope’s plea to Sudan’s leaders

PHILIP PULLELLA and WAAKHE SIMON WUDU POPE Francis began a visit to South Sudan with an impassioned plea to its fractious leaders to turn their backs on the violence, ethnic hatred and corruption that have stopped the world's youngest country from achieving peace and prosperity. South Sudan broke away from Sudan to become independent in 2011 after decades of conflict, but civil war erupted in 2013. Despite a 2018 peace deal between the two main antagonists, violence and hunger still plague the country. Tens of thousands of people sang, drummed and ululated as the Roman Catholic leader arrived in the capital Juba…
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Explainer: Why has peace eluded South Sudan?

Explainer: Why has peace eluded South Sudan?

AARON ROSS AMONG the more ambitious hopes for Pope Francis' visit to South Sudan, this week is that it will give a jolt to a peace process aimed at ending a decade of conflict that has cost hundreds of thousands of lives. Government forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and opposition forces that back First Vice President Riek Machar signed a deal in 2018 that committed the two sides to share power and forming a unified national military. But implementation of that agreement has been slow and violence between rival communities has continued to flare up. Here are details about…
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Pope Francis in DRC and South Sudan: one of his most challenging visits ever

Pope Francis in DRC and South Sudan: one of his most challenging visits ever

ON 31 January, Pope Francis departed from Rome to central Africa, to visit the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and its neighbouring state South Sudan. The visit was previously scheduled for 2022 but did not take place because of the pope’s health issues. Pope Francis’ visit to Africa comes at a defining moment for his papacy and for the Catholic church worldwide. He has led a period since December 2019 of global reflection known as “the synodal path” in which Catholics have been able to speak up about the agenda that the church should pursue. A similar exercise, the Second…
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