South Sudan In Focus - VOA Africa

The High-Level Revitalization Forum in Addis Ababa concludes with signatures on a cessation of hostilities agreement from all warring parties; stakeholders express optimism that peace will return to South Sudan; and residents in Juba want a full commitment from all parties in implementing the agreement.

Participants at the high-level forum in Addis Ababa appear close to signing a ceasefire agreement; government operatives attending the peace talks are accused of harassing members of a civil society group; and six aid workers are freed in South Sudan’s Lol State.

Participants at a high-level forum delay signing the ceasefire agreement; police in Uganda say drug use and criminal activity is on the rise among South Sudanese refugees; and wildlife officials in Jonglei State warn poachers against killing animals for food.

Stakeholders attending the high-level forum in Addis Ababa call for an immediate end to hostilities by the warring parties; rebel forces loyal to Riek Machar attack a convoy of aid workers in Lol state; and HIV-positive women in Kapoeta State educate mothers on preventing mother-to-child transmission of the virus.

The IGAD-led High-Level Revitalization Forum opens in Addis Ababa; police arrest a South Sudanese man in connection with last month’s murders in Uganda’s Moyo District; and authorities in Juba ramp up security ahead of Christmas and New Year celebrations.

On the 4th anniversary of the South Sudan conflict: A hybrid court of South Sudan is one step closer to being established; a South Sudanese analyst calls on all parties of the conflict to commit to ending the destruction and suffering caused by the war; and South Sudanese refugees living in Uganda urge their leaders to work towards genuine and lasting peace.

A senior United Nations diplomat says the international community is obligated to protect civilians in South Sudan; refugees stimulate economic growth around a camp in Kakuma; and the South Sudan government resumes processing passports and ID cards for applicants.

The United Nations asks for more than a billion dollars to provide humanitarian assistance to millions of South Sudanese next year; a South Sudanese activist fears traveling back to Juba and being targeted; and people in Kapoeta State earn a living mining for gold.

President Salva Kiir declares a three-month state of emergency in three states; Bor residents complain about “rampant insecurity” in their neighborhoods; and health officials say South Sudanese men are less willing to learn about their HIV/AIDS status or accept a positive result.

Civil society groups in South Sudan want inclusion in talks to revive the collapsed 2015 peace deal; an Egyptian military delegation arrives in Juba to assist the South Sudan army; and Ugandan officials in Adjumani District sponsor an event to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS.