Par’s SPLM-IO faction installs Pitia, replacing Oyet as deputy Speaker
The Transitional National Legislative Assembly has entered a new phase of political realignment after Speaker Jemma Nunu Kumba on Thursday appointed Ambrose Lomin Pitia as First Deputy Speaker, formally replacing Oyet Nathaniel Perino. The reshuffle is widely interpreted as a triumph for Ambassador Stephen Par Kuol’s SPLM-IO faction in Juba, which recommended Pitia for the […]
Heavy fighting erupts in Upper Nile as rival forces clash
Fresh fighting broke out Thursday in Longechuk County, Upper Nile State, as South Sudan government troops and opposition forces, reinforced by local White Army militias, engaged in fierce clashes over the strategic town of Mathiang. Residents reported intense gunfire and artillery fire that lasted for hours, sending civilians fleeing. The number of casualties remains unclear. […]
South Sudan faces risk of renewed widespread violence, UN says
South Sudan risks sliding back into widespread conflict as peace gains erode amid renewed fighting, stalled reforms, and a worsening humanitarian crisis, a senior UN official warned on Monday. UN Assistant Secretary-General for Africa, Martha Pobee, told the UN Security Council that repeated military offensives, political deadlock, and unilateral actions by parties to the Revitalised […]
South Sudan teeters on the brink of deadly armed violence – CEPO warns
South Sudan is on the verge of plunging back into deadly armed violence unless political leaders urgently embrace dialogue, a leading civil society organization has warned. Edmund Yakani, Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) and a signatory to the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS), sounded […]
SPLM-IO hands 17 youths to UNMISS after alleged forced recruitment
The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO) has reportedly handed over 17 young men, including teenagers, to UNMISS after they reportedly escaped forced conscription into the SSPDF following a June roundup in Juba. According to SPLM-IO officials, the youths fled into opposition-held areas in Upper Nile State after being forcibly conscripted into the South Sudan People’s […]
Is Kiir’s political shake-up a path to peace or conflict?
President Salva Kiir’s removal of top SPLM-IO leaders from the transitional legislature has triggered a storm of criticism from the opposition and civil society, with warnings that the move could weaken the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement instead of strengthening it. Among those removed is First Deputy Speaker of the National Legislative Assembly, Oyet Nathaniel, the […]
AU Peace and Security Council calls for inclusive dialogue in South Sudan
The African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) has called for an inclusive, high-level political dialogue leaders in South Sudan to resolve the ongoing political stalemate. The call was made following a three-day visit to Juba from August 10-12, 2025, intended to show solidarity with South Sudanese and reaffirm the AU’s commitment to supporting […]
AU scene heats up as Kuol, Machar allies clash over detention tale
Senior presidential advisor, Kuol Manyang Juuk, has reiterated that the house arrest of Dr. Riek Machar is a criminal matter with no political undertones, while Machar’s allies accused the government of political persecution. Kuol, who chairs the high-level committee overseeing the implementation of the 2018 peace deal, made the statement on Monday during a briefing […]
Can James Altaib end bloodshed in crisis-ridden Western Equatoria?
Newly appointed Western Equatoria State governor James Altaib Jazz steps into office carrying the burden of a broken peace and a region plagued by bloodshed. Appointed Thursday night by President Salva Kiir, Altaib replaces Gen. Alfred Futuyo, a senior SPLM-IO figure dismissed in February amid spiraling violence in key counties, Tambura and Yambio where ethnic […]
Western envoys repeat demand for Machar’s release, Juba remains defiant
Western powers have once again renewed their call for the immediate release of First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar and other political detainees, warning that continued repression threatens to unravel South Sudan’s fragile peace accord. In a joint statement, the Embassies of the United States, United Kingdom, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, and Canada condemned recent […]
