South Sudan In Focus - VOA Africa

Foreign ministers from Ethiopia, Sudan and IGAD’s special envoy to South Sudan meet in Juba to consult with signatories of the 2015 peace deal; the Jonglei State council of ministers pass a resolution that prohibits cutting down trees to help prevent the rapid destruction of forests; and a group in Uganda initiates a tree-planting program under the theme, “Plant A Tree, Save The Future.”

A two-day energy conference aimed at getting more oil and gas companies to invest in South Sudan wraps up in Juba; state assembly lawmakers propose dividing Jonglei into two states; and foreign nationals and South Sudanese citizens complain about poor conditions at Juba International Airport.

Women reportedly go missing from a U.N. Protection of Civilians site in Juba; traders in Bor ask for protection of their stock after losing large amounts of inventory in nighttime robberies; and South Sudan tops the list of the ten worst countries for girls to get an education.

Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga withdraws from the upcoming election re-run; civil society activists petition to suspend the decision that requires motorists to apply for new registration plates and drivers licenses; and South Sudanese refugees in Uganda’s West Nile region protest the reduction of monthly food rations.

Former SPLM political detainees welcome IGAD’s decision to separately consult with South Sudanese parties to revitalize the 2015 peace deal; soldiers in Juba start their own businesses to make ends meet; and South Sudanese refugees in Uganda's Adjumani District complete vocational training courses with the hope of becoming self-reliant.

The United States permanently lifts decades-long sanctions on Sudan; the SPLM-IO faction rejects IGAD’s decision to be consulted separately in reviving the 2015 peace agreement; and South Sudan and Uganda sign a memorandum of understanding that paves the way for Uganda to export electricity to South Sudan's border towns.

The International Committee of the Red Cross expresses concern about deadly fighting between government forces and rebels loyal to Riek Machar in Waat; residents in Juba Town call on security forces to do more to end rampant crime in Juba neighborhoods; and teachers talk about their determination to prepare the next generation of South Sudanese for higher education.

Fuel shortages in Juba continue to affect commuters and businesses across the capital; the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations plans a visit to Juba; and the U.N. World Food Program cuts rations for refugees in Kenya by 30 percent because of the large influx of South Sudanese refugees and insufficient funding.

Fighting renews in Biech State between government and rebel forces loyal to Riek Machar; violators of child labor laws in Wau town risk arrest and punishment; and motorists in South Sudan are required to renew their licenses, regardless of expiration dates.

Residents in Juba pay out-of-pocket for police protection in their Kator neighborhood; IGAD leaders schedule a forum with Riek Machar to revive the 2015 peace agreement; and a presidential spokesman says President Salva Kiir denies reports that he is lobbying for next year’s elections to be expedited.