This Week in South Sudan – Week 8

Wednesday 20 February

• A recent UN report tally alleged perpetrators of sexual violence, killings and torture in South Sudan. The confidential list of suspects includes people from the army, national security, military intelligence, rebel forces and affiliated armed groups.
• Bel Trew in Independent: “Too Young to Wed: Poverty and Hunger are Driving up Numbers of Child Brides in South Sudan.”

Thursday 21 February

• The SPLM, the SPLM-FD and the SPLM-IO fraction under Taban Deng Gai, are formally reunited.
  • The steering committee of the SPLM reunification recommended to reinstate the members of the Political Bureau and National Liberation Council who were dismissed in December 2013.
  • Riek Machar denounced the reunification, arguing that it undermines the peace deal.
• The State: “New recruitment of soldiers threatens South Sudan’s peace”

Friday 22 February

• Aid agencies reported that food insecurity is increasing in South Sudan, and recent assessments suggest that nearly 7 million, or two-thirds of the country experiencefood shortages.

Saturday 23 February

• The Troika – the US, the UK and Norway – issued a joint statement raising alarm over the escalating violence around Yei involving government forces and National Salvation Front (NAS) under Thomas Cirilo Swaka, who refused to sign the September 2018 peace deal.

Sunday 24 February

• The SPLM-IO rejected to merge with the ruling party SPLM, despite the 2015 Arusha reunification agreement between the SPLM, the SPLM-IO and the Former Political Detainees (FDs). Nathaniel Oyet Pierino, representative of the SPLM-IO at the National Constitutional Amendment Committee (NCAC) said that the reunification agreement has been overtaken by events such as the July 2016 renewed violence.

Yohannes Gedamu in Relief Web: “South Sudan Peace Deal Offers Promising End to Conflict. But Challenges Remain.”