This Week in South Sudan - Week 15

Monday 9 April

• Paul Malong Awan announced the formation of a new opposition movement called South Sudan United Front.

Tuesday 10 April

• Sudan’s President Omar Hassan al-Bashir ordered the release of political prisoners.
• The Government of South Sudan (GoSS) granted ex-army chief Paul Malong $5 million to pursue the country’s opposition leader Riek Machar during the fighting in July 2016.
• Programme director for John Dau Foundation, Morris Okwir, was reportedly arrested by the police in northern Uganda over illegal gun possession.
• In March, the UN Migration Agency and partners gave 60 400 people oral choral vaccination in Malakal and Wau. In the coming days, they will begin the second round of vaccination, aiming to reach a total of 140 000 people in Malakal and Wau.

Wednesday 11 April

• The Centre for Peace and Justice is calling on IGAD to include Paul Malong in peace talks. The GoSS disagrees.
• SPLM-IO admitted detaining aid workers in Central Equatoria, under the suspicion of them being government agents. The aid workers have now been released.
• In Unity State, the UN reports that two local humanitarian workers were killed.

Thursday 12 April

• IRIN News: “Ahead of Peace Talks, a Who’s Who in South Sudan’s Splintering Civil War”

Sunday 15 April

• Reports tell of clashes between SPLM and SPLM-IO near Bentiu. SPLM-IO accuses government forces of attacking their position.