South Sudan In Focus - VOA Africa

Ten secondary school teachers in Juba go on strike after not receiving pay for six months; South Sudanese children struggle to get an education in Ugandan settlement camps; and church leaders in South Sudan express concern over the violence and abuse taking place in the country, despite the signing of the peace agreement.

The United Nations says gender-based violence remains very high in South Sudan; the Catholic Church offers trauma counseling to residents in Yei River State, where the rate of suicide is especially high; and officials in Uganda’s Lamwo District say an estimated two thousand unaccompanied children have crossed into Uganda from South Sudan.

President Salva Kiir instructs South Sudan police to cooperate with the Regional Protection Force; 'Doctors Without Borders' sets up vaccination centers in Juba town to prevent the spread of cholera; and women activists in Yei River State call for sex education to be included in school curriculum.

South Sudan President Salva Kiir calls for negotiations with the U.S. government over imposed sanctions on three South Sudanese individuals; civil servants in Juba struggle to provide for their families, and run small businesses to make ends meet; and a South Sudanese judge sues President Kiir for firing over a dozen judges who went on strike for better working conditions.

Participants in the ‘South Sudan Great Run’ marathon raise ten million South Sudanese pounds to help feed the needy; South Sudanese in the diaspora discuss solutions to end the conflict in South Sudan; and the project ‘Girls Education in South Sudan’ (GESS) provides money to thousands of girls to encourage them to stay in school.

The head of UNMISS in South Sudan says peacekeepers are better able to predict and analyze where violence might break out in the country; the South Sudan government says the country is enjoying good relations with the United States, despite recent sanctions imposed by the Trump administration; and a group of South Sudanese lawyers petition the courts to ban the use of the Arabic language in government institutions.

United States President Donald Trump tells African leaders the U.S. is deeply concerned about the ongoing conflict in South Sudan; Kenya’s electoral commission moves the country's presidential elections to October 26th; and South Sudanese students studying in Uganda organize a series of events to mark the International Day of Peace.

The U.N. General Assembly holds a high-level meeting to discuss the humanitarian conditions in South Sudan; U.N. experts warn next year’s elections in South Sudan could be catastrophic and lead to more violence in the country; and Jonglei State authorities implement a state-wide ban on wrestling and all traditional dances.

In his first address to the U.N. General Assembly, President Donald Trump notes the United States is leading the way in the fight against famine in Africa, including South Sudan; USAID’s scholarship program in Juba is suspended; and a nonprofit organization helps young women learn how to earn a living for themselves and their families.

U.S. President Donald Trump addresses the United Nations General Assembly in New York; the leader of the International Youth for Africa reportedly calls on the U.S. government to reconsider its sanctions imposed on South Sudanese officials; and members of the opposition Democratic Change Party files a lawsuit against the South Sudan Minister of Agriculture for violating the party's constitution.