South Sudan In Focus - VOA Africa

Rebels loyal to Colonel Chan Garang attack a military post on the outskirts of Juba Town; a South Sudanese bishop says the government of South Sudan must apprehend soldiers who rape young women and girls; and South Sudanese refugees in Khartoum worry about the future for dozens of children who remain out of school.

Heavy gunfire erupts near a U.N.refugee camp in Juba; a South Sudan military spokesman accuses rebels of attacking his troop in Yei River State; and South Sudanese refugees in Uganda learn how to start their own small-scale businesses.

Authorities in Northern Liech State accuse rebels loyal to Riek Machar of attacking villages in the former Unity State; rebels of the SPLM-IO accuse Kenyan authorities of kidnapping the shadow governor of Kapoeta State; and South Sudanese refugees describe the challenges of living in Khartoum.

The United States, the United Kingdom and Norway condemn violations of the signed ceasefire agreement; the widow of John Garang calls for the IGAD Heads of State to create a good environment for peace in South Sudan; and a South Sudanese Catholic archbishop says the nation’s leaders must uphold the ceasefire agreement to achieve lasting peace.

South Sudanese youth discuss where responsibility and accountability should fall in ending the conflict in South Sudan; economic experts say the South Sudanese government must eliminate widespread corruption in the country’s institutions; and analysts examine the growth of African democracy in 2017.

Civil society leaders vow to establish peace in South Sudan at all costs; South Sudanese women are more vocal about the dire humanitarian conditions in the country; and refugees living in Uganda express hope that the coming year will bring real change in South Sudan.

Authorities in Jonglei State arrest chiefs and youth leaders for their participation in inter-clan killings; a civil society leaders say South Sudanese are expressing doubt about the implementation of the ceasefire agreement; and a researcher says innovations in technology should be adopted in countries suffering from food insecurity.

A South Sudan government spokesman says he will continue to defend the Kiir administration despite threats from the international community; hundreds of South Sudanese rebels pour into the Democratic Republic of Congo; and stakeholders try to implement a ceasefire amid reported violations of the signed agreement.

The Metropolitan Catholic Archbishop of Juba Diocese sends a Christmas message with strong words for South Sudanese warring parties; South Sudanese families living in Khartoum say reconciliation is the only way for peace and unity to return to their country; and South Sudanese Christians express their expectations for the future.

Members of the South Sudan Young Leader’s Forum talk about the conflict, and the best ways to forgive those who have committed acts of violence; South Sudanese men take on jobs as male midwives; and an Episcopal bishop gives a message of hope for South Sudanese searching for peace.