South Sudan In Focus - VOA Africa

South Sudan ceasefire monitors accuse the government of blocking their entry into Kajo Keji; the finance minister of South Sudan calls on donor aid to help fund the next fiscal year budget; and South Sudanese in Kampala and Juba talk about what Independence Day means for them, and whether or not they plan to celebrate this year.

Five people are dead and a dozen children abducted in two separate cattle raid attacks in Jonglei State; South Sudanese judges appeal to President Salva Kiir to resolve the issues that led to a strike more than two months ago; and the number of children who suffer from acute malnutrition in Boma State more than doubles since last year.

Jonglei State officials arrest fifteen people suspected of issuing threats against aid agency employees from Equatoria; the Yei River State government threatens to withhold the salaries of state officials who have relocated to Juba; and a group called “I Am Peace” uses art to unite South Sudanese committees living in Ugandan settlement camps.

A youth group demands aid agencies to evacuate all employees who hail from Equatoria; Amnesty International accuses South Sudan’s warring parties of committing atrocities; and lawyers gather in Cameroon to call for tough legislation against counterfeit medicines entering into Africa.

Rebel leader Riek Machar refuses to meet with members of the national dialogue steering committee; lawmakers and a community leader in Yei River State condemn the recent fighting in Morobo County between government forces and rebel fighters; and South Sudanese non-government organizations say they are vulnerable to threats because they are unable to provide adequate security for their workers.

Fighting breaks out in Morobo County despite the signing of a controversial peace agreement between Yei River State authorities and a breakaway faction of the SPLA-IO; South Sudan’s government may withhold permission for aid workers to deliver assistance to areas controlled by rebels; and the European Union donates twenty million euros to encourage South Sudanese teachers to continue their work during the country’s economic crisis.

Unidentified gunmen open fire on a vehicle travelling along the Juba-Bor road in Jubek State; South Sudanese women call on the government to guarantee women occupy positions in the executive arm of government; and women in South Sudan fight to end the stigma of menstruation, and work to ensure young girls are able to attend school throughout the month.

South Sudan recalls its ambassadors from seven countries to return to Juba; the judges strike in Juba leads to overcrowded detention facilities and a backlog of cases in the country; and leaders in Sudan hope President Trump’s partially reinstated travel ban will not affect U.S. sanctions on Sudan.

South Sudanese refugees say armed men continue to force civilians in Yei County to abandon their homes and flee across the border; a South Sudanese woman says she was beaten by security agents in front of the residence of First Vice-President Taban Deng Gai; and a research professor says famine has become less rare--with some exceptions, including Somalia and South Sudan.

South Sudan officials acknowledge the existence of corruption and lack of accountability within government institutions; the South Sudan government cancels this year’s independence celebrations, amid mixed reactions; and government and humanitarian officials say team work and donor funds have helped ease famine in parts of South Sudan.