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.

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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

UN Says 2.7 Million South Sudanese Will Need food aid in 2012

Around 2.7 million people in Africa’s newest nation will need aid in the New Year due to crop failures and violence. Although South Sudan won independence in July, the new nation has been struggling to end tribal and rebel violence, overcome an economic crisis, and build up state institutions. The country imports food from Sudan but border trade has been hard due to armed clashes. There has been an influx in the population due to people fleeing from northern border states where Khartoum’s army has been fighting with insurgents and South Sudanese returning home due to the independence. Erratic rains have caused food prices to shoot upwards and have made it even harder for the young nation to feed the country of 8.3 million.

Activists warn of “genocide” in the Jonglei State

Round table discussions on the Luo Nuer and Murie conflicts in Juba organized by Minority Rights Group International and Boma Development Initiative warned there could be an outbreak of “genocide” in the Southern Sudan region. It could be sparked by a lack of political action to resolve the conflict between the Luo Nuer and Murle communities. The weakness is blamed on the judiciary system. The groups called for empowerment of local government so they can handle community disputes. According to Jonglei state officials at least 3,000 people have been killed in 2011 in the ongoing inter-ethnic conflict. The UN Office for the Coordination in contrast reported that around 2,500 were killed in 2009 due to violent conflicts throughout the whole of South Sudan.

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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

Kenya-Sudan Ties Amended Following Retraction of Nairobi Court Order to Arrest al Bashir

In an effort to preserve Kenya-Sudan trade and prevent the expulsion of all Kenyans from Sudan, Nairobi has lifted a court order made earlier this week to apprehend Sudanese President Omar al Bashir on behalf of the International Crime Court if he were to enter Kenya.

 Sudan and South Sudan’s Request to Join EAC Rejected and Deferred, Respectively

The East Africa Community has declined Sudan’s bid to join the organization currently including Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi, citing lack its lack of democracy, respect for women, and shared borders. The EAC is requiring more time to evaluate South Sudan’s compliance with “good governance, democracy, the rule of law, observance of human rights and social justice.”

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by Alexa Huffman

Last month, 16 countries came before the United Nations Human Rights Council for the Universal Periodic Review. This exercise is a process where human rights records of UN member states are examined. Each state gets to talk about how they have worked to improve human rights situations in their country and fulfill their human rights obligations. Every country receives an equal review.

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