South Sudan In Focus - VOA Africa

South Sudanese diaspora community say they hope to work with the new administration of President Donald Trump, the World Food Program says it expects to feed more than 900 thousand refugees this month as more people continue to flee South Sudan and Lepers in Imatong State complain that they are being isolated and discriminated against in their communities.

A top U.S. official says the national dialogue announced by President Salva Kiir must involve all citizens if it is to achieve real peace in South Sudan, a former commissioner of Yei County paints a bleak picture of the situation in Yei, and human rights activists in Torit say security operatives are arresting and detaining people for days without charges.

Today’s top stories: A senior SPLM official defects from President Kiir’s administration to join former Vice President Riek Machar; travelers regain access to the Juba-Nimule road; and the South Sudan government announces an upcoming visit of King Mohammed the 6th of Morocco.

Today’s top stories: Several SPLM-IO officials allied to former first vice-president Riek Machar defect to the Juba government; South Sudan’s new Central Bank governor makes the stabilization of the South Sudanese pound his first priority; and Imatong State education officials postpone final secondary school exams to March 6th.

Today’s top stories: President Salva Kiir creates four new states in South Sudan amid mixed reactions; Sudan’s foreign minister vows to continue cooperating with the United States as sanctions are eased; and a leader of the SPLM-IO youth league describes a recent gathering aimed to support a proposed national dialogue as “partisan”.

Today’s top stories: A mandate for a U.N. regional protection force expires before the force deploys to Juba; President Barack Obama is expected to ease some U.S. sanctions on Sudan; and widows in Imatong State call for their right to choose whom they will marry after their husbands die.

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Today’s top stories: A South Sudan Army spokesman alleges some members of the Troika countries are planning a regime change in South Sudan; a newly released World Report for 2017 looks at human rights abuses in Sudan and South Sudan; and the South Sudan Human Rights Commission says the ongoing conflict has led to more civil rights violations by armed groups.

Today’s top stories: A non-profit organization identifies the specific words South Sudanese use in hate speech and encourages alternative language to promote dialogue; Sudanese and British officials discuss ways to achieve peace in Darfur; and a world-class coach uses wheelchair basketball to train South Sudanese with disabilities.

Today’s top stories: The South Sudan government contracts a private company to monitor the quality of its imports and exports; the Imatong State government bans travel along the Torit-Juba and Torit-Magwi roads; and analysts predict African countries will not fully achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by the 2030 deadline.

Today’s top stories: The Catholic Archbishop of Juba describes the condition of a refugee camps in Uganda’s Adjumani District as “miserable and shameful”; women in Torit earn a living growing vegetables during the dry season; and businesses in Gabon hope the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations will bring a much needed boost to the economy.