A summary of the news from the Sudans and the DRC the past two weeks. Click on the title for the full article.

SUDAN & SOUTH SUDAN

New Ethnic Clashes in South Sudan Claim 57 Lives
On January 11, about 60 Murle fighters massacred 57 Lou Nuer civilians in northern Jonglei state in response to deadly attacks launched by Lou Nuer fighters the previous week. In addition to the fatalities that were comprised of mostly Murle women and children, 53 were left wounded and over 20,000 cattle were stolen from the Lou Nuer villages. With an estimated 60,000 people in danger as a result of this ongoing ethnic conflict, the UN is preparing an emergency aid mission.

Obama Declares South Sudan Eligible for Receiving Weaponry
In light of South Sudan’s vulnerability to air raids that have been reportedly mediated by the Sudan Air Force, U.S. President Barack Obama has declared that providing South Sudan with defensive weaponry would “strengthen the security of the United States and promote world peace.” This statement, however, does not confirm any actual plans for an exchange. The Sudan Tribune has also speculated that the United States is likely wary of supplying weaponry to a country that is currently marred by its own ethnic conflict.

Sudan Offers to Help Libya Disarm Rebels
Sudanese President Omar al Bashir recently visited Libya to express his gratitude for the removal of its former leader, Muammar Gaddafi, who had previously accused him of supporting rebels in Darfur. In an effort to renew friendly ties with Libya, he also expressed Sudan’s willingness help disarm residual anti-Gaddafi rebel groups. To the alarm of many human rights groups, this visit marks yet another missed opportunity to incarcerate al Bashir, who is wanted by the International Crime Court for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes relating to the recent conflict in Darfur.

International Aid Block Risks Famine in Southern Kordofan
On Tuesday, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice, officially claimed that Khartoum’s strict stance against international aid groups has negatively affected civilians of war-torn Southern Kordofan to the extent that without intervention, mass starvation is projected to take place in a matter of months.

DRC

Four Rwandan Military Officers Arrested Over Congo Conflict Minerals
Following an investigation surrounding suspected conflict mineral dealings with civilians inhabiting eastern Congo, Rwandan officials have arrested four top military officers and placed them under house arrest. This move follows unsuccessful legislative efforts by the American government to resist importing products made from resources that were smuggled out of the DRC to ultimately fund local militia groups, such as the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, the alleged perpetrators of the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

Election Re-Evaluation Request by Congo’s Bishops
The DRC’s exceedingly influential Catholic Church has officially called on the nation’s electoral committee to re-evaluate the results of the much-disputed federal election that gave victory to incumbent President Joseph Kabila over opposition hopeful, Etienne Tshisekedi. Following several claims of electoral rigging by the international community, thirty-five bishops issued a statement requesting that the commission “correct serious errors that have damaged people’s trust in this institution, and if not, to resign.” This federal election was the first to be internally-facilitated in the DRC’s 51 years of existence.

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