July 4, 2021 (JUBA) – A top U.S. official has urged the leadership in South Sudan to put national interests before personal interests if they are to overcome challenges the country is facing. Ambassador Larry E. André, Jr, the Chargé d'Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Juba called for “principled leadership” and a strong sense of national unity that prioritizes South Sudanese identity while respecting the diversity that makes the country culturally rich. “We remain committed to standing with the (...) - News / United States (US), South Sudan, FRONT_PAGE_SECONDARY

July 4, 2021 (JUBA) - The European Union (EU) has extended the incentives given to primary school teachers in South Sudan under the Impact Education Project for additional three months. The EU has, through its ‘IMPACT' project, been instrumental in maintaining the country's education system from 2017 to 2020. The incentives complement salaries that the government owes teachers. In May 2021, both the Ministry of Education and the EU agreed to pay further incentives of 21,400 South Sudanese (...) - News

July 3, 2021 (JUBA) – South Sudan's First Vice President Riek Machar has called upon the people of South Sudan nationwide to address their grievances and reconcile as a way of healing. He made the remarks while officially launching the consultative process for the establishment of the Commission for Truth, Reconciliation and Healing in the South Sudan capital, Juba last week. Organised by the Justice and Constitutional Affairs Ministry with support from the United Nations Development (...) - News / FRONT_PAGE_SECONDARY, South Sudan, National Dialogue and Reconciliation In South Sudan

July 3, 2021 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudanese government said deeply concerned about the recent developments in the northern part of Ethiopia in Tigray and called on all parties in the neighbouring country to use peaceful means to resolve their differences. The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) fighters retook control of the Tigray region capital Mekelle on Monday 28 June, seven months after they withdrew from the city in November 2020. Following the dramatic turn, the Ethiopian government (...) - News / FRONT_PAGE_DISPLAY

July 3, 2021 (JUBA/KHARTOUM) – Sudan's Energy and Oil Minister, Jadain Ali Obeid has called for further consolidation of the cooperation with neighbouring South Sudan in the oil sector. The minister made the remarks while speaking at the South Sudan Oil & Power conference held in the South Sudan capital, Juba from June 29-30. The conference focused on issues like the existing investment opportunities, energy projects, expediting exploration, production operations and the challenges (...) - News / Diplomacy - International Relations, South Sudan, Sudan, Oil - Petroleum, FRONT_PAGE_SECONDARY

July 2, 2021 (NEW YORK) - The Security Council will encourage Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia to resume negotiations and to reach a negotiated settlement over the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), said French Ambassador to the United Nation Nicolas de Rivière. De Rivière who chairs the Security Council in July held a press conference on Thursday to introduce the headlines of issues that the 15 member body will discuss during the French presidency. Asked about (...) - News / FRONT_PAGE_SECONDARY

July 2, 2021 (KHARTOUM)- Sudanese Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok voiced his support for the Empowerment Removal Committee during a visit to its premises for the first time on Thursday evening. The committee which is tasked with the dismantlement of the former regime institutions and the removal of its members is facing huge criticism from some parties of the transitional government and the opposition. However, 24 hours after protests against his economic reforms by the left forces and (...) - News / FRONT_PAGE_SECONDARY

Ngor Arol Garang In August 2018, conflicting parties in South Sudan, both armed and non-armed signed a peace agreement meant to bring stability to the beleaguered nation. Yet in recent months and counting, the country continues to experience a state of no peace, no war. Violent groups, including those in a loose alliance with groups in the coalition government, have frequently unleashed attacks on humanitarian organizations, pedestrians on public roads and their presence is spreading (...) - Comment & Analysis

July 2, 2021 (JUBA) - The U.S. has partly waved sanctions on South Sudan for the use of child soldiers to allow assistance to several bodies involved in the ongoing efforts to achieve peace and to implement the signed agreements. In its 2021 Trafficking in Persons Report released on Thursday, the US State Department said that the South Sudanese government was one of 11 countries with a policy or pattern of recruitment of child soldiers. The report said President Biden waived some (...) - News / FRONT_PAGE_SECONDARY

July 2, 2021 (KHARTOUM) - A Sudanese special court will start on Sunday the trial of 24 security members accused of planning subversive activities. The General Attorney said in a statement released on Friday it had referred to anti-terrorism several members of the former People's Security Service (PSS) accused of planning terrorist activities. The PSS was a security service composed of Islamist members established by the National Congress Party (NCP) of Omer al-Bashir tasked with the (...) - News / FRONT_PAGE_DISPLAY

June 1, 2021 (WASHINGTON) – South Sudan is among the 51 developing countries to benefit from over $4billion provided by World Bank for purchase and deployment of COVID-19 vaccines. “More than half of the financing comes from the International Development Association (IDA), the Bank's fund for the world's poorest countries, and is on grant or highly concessional terms,” the financial institution said in a statement. It added, “This financing is part of the Bank's commitment to help low- and (...) - News / South Sudan, FRONT_PAGE_SECONDARY

July 1, 2021 (KHARTOUM) - Ethiopia said the withdrawal of its troops from the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), requires the agreement of the two parties to the temporary security arrangements agreement in the disputed area. Following the deterioration of bilateral relations between Sudan and Ethiopia over the Al-Fashaga border strip, Sudan requested the United Nations to replace the Ethiopian soldiers. On 28 June, Graham Maitland, UN Director for Eastern African (...) - News / FRONT_PAGE_DISPLAY, Ethiopia, Abyei

July 1, 2021 (JUBA) - South Sudan has launched the second dose of routine Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV2) seeking to protect children in the country against all types of Polio. The immunization services led by the Health Ministry, is supported by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, World Health Organization (WHO), UN Children Fund (UNICEF), among other partners. According to a joint statement issued on Thursday, the second dose of routine IPV is essential for children's protection from paralysis (...) - News / South Sudan, Polio

July 1, 2021 (KAMPALA) – South Sudan is among the three countries placed on a «grey list» of nations under increased monitoring to counter money laundering and terrorist financing last month. Also included on the list are Malta, Haiti and Philippines. Formed in 1989, FATF is international organisation that coordinates global efforts to crack down on money laundering and terrorism financing. The additional countries bring to 22 the total number of countries currently under increased (...) - News / South Sudan, Finance, FRONT_PAGE_SECONDARY

June 30, 2021 (KHARTOUM) - 52 policemen were injured in the anti-government protests that swept through different parts of the capital, Khartoum, on Wednesday, also 3 other police agents were injured in Gedaref state. The Sudanese authorities deployed thousands of policemen and security forces in the capital and closed vital roads as many business and commercial shops were closes. Also, the security forces arrested over 200 members of the dissolved National Congress Party of the former (...) - News / FRONT_PAGE_DISPLAY

June 30, 2021 (JUBA) - South Sudan NGO Forum has condemned the continuing attacks on civilians and aid workers across the country, urging all parties to protect citizens from violence. In recent weeks, the group said, outbreaks of localised violence have continued to affect the country's populations, causing further displacement, and a worsening of the humanitarian situation for those already grappling with the impacts of conflicts and flooding. An upsurge of violence has been reported in (...) - News / South Sudan, FRONT_PAGE_SECONDARY, Humanitarian

June 30, 2021 (BRUSSELS) - The European Union (EU) has welcomed the announcement that Sudan has successfully reached decision point under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative. The EU High Representative, Josep Borrell and Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen said this in a statement issued on Wednesday. “This is another significant milestone in Sudan's transition towards democratic governance and economic recovery,” it noted. The EU also lauded the (...) - News / Sudan, European Union (EU) / European Commission (EC), FRONT_PAGE_SECONDARY

June 29, 2021 (Washington) - U.S. senior diplomat Tuesday said that the border dispute between Sudan and Ethiopia poses a risk of conflict. Robert Godec, Robert Godec, Acting Assistant Secretary of State Bureau of African Affairs, made his statement in a hearing before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on the conflict in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. "The Al-Fashaga border dispute poses a risk of conflict in the area. It is a deep dispute, and it is a considerable concern for the (...) - News / FRONT_PAGE_SECONDARY

June 29, 2021 (ADDIS ABABA) – South Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenya have reiterated their commitment to expedite the implementation of the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia-Transport (LAPSSET) program. Speaking at a high-level ministerial meeting on Monday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's Minister of Transport Dagmawit Moges said infrastructure provision is Africa's top priority as the continent is moving toward integration and that African states need to closely work together to achieve that goal. “As (...) - News / South Sudan, Kenya, Ethiopia, Lamu Port - Southern Sudan - Ethiopia Transport Corridor (LAPSSET)

June 29, 2021 (KHARTOUM) – The African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) will complete its drawdown exercise on June 30 as requested by the UN Security Council resolution 2559 (2020), which ended the mission's mandate at the end of last year. Addressing a press conference in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum on Tuesday, the UN Assistant Secretary-General, M'Baye Babacar Cissé said over the past four months, UNAMID handed over 14 team sites to the government, who committed (...) - News / FRONT_PAGE_SECONDARY, Sudan, Darfur peacekeeping mission (UNAMID)

June 28, 2021 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan has reached the decision point and is now eligible for debt relief under the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) decided on Monday. «The Executive Board of the IMF has approved Sudan entry into HIPC - the Decision Point,» wrote Magdi Amin a Senior Advisor at the Sudanese Ministry of Finance on Twitter late on Monday. Amin further said that Sudan would proceed to negotiations with the Paris Club in July. (...) - News / FRONT_PAGE_DISPLAY

June 28, 2021 (JUBA) – A two-day Oil & Power conference kicks off South Sudan's capital, Juba on Tuesday as part of a campaign to drive capital into key energy and infrastructure sectors. The event, to be officially launched by President Salva Kiir, will take place at the Crown Hotel in Juba from June 29-30. Organized by Energy Capital & Power with the endorsement of the Ministry of Petroleum, Ministry of Energy and Dams, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ministry of Investment, and (...) - News

June 28, 2021 (MEKELLE) – An official of the State Interim Administration of Ethiopia's Tigray region has called for ceasefire as Tigrayan fighters began entering the regional capital, Mekelle. On Monday, rebel fighters better known as Tigray Defence Forces started advancing Mekelle after Ethiopian government troops retreated from the regional city. Thousands of residents, New York Times reported, took to the streets on Monday night, waving flags and shooting off fireworks after hearing (...) - News / FRONT_PAGE_SECONDARY, Ethiopia, Military

June 28, 2021 (KHARTOUM) - The United States has decided to re-establish normal diplomatic relations with Sudan ending its strategic engagement approach, the Sudanese government said. U.S. Acting Chargé d'Affaires and Deputy Chief of Mission Amber Baskette informed Foreign Minister Meriam al-Mahdi of the decision on Monday. The full normalization of diplomatic relations with Sudan comes after decades of limited engagement with Khartoum as the country had been on the list of states (...) - News / United States (US), FRONT_PAGE_DISPLAY

June 27, 2021 (CAIRO/JUBA) - The Egyptian and South Sudanese ministries of Water Resources and Irrigation have inked a cooperation protocol that includes a project to prepare feasibility studies for the construction of Wau dam in South Sudan. The dam on the Siwi River, is located 9km south of Wau town. The project, officials say, could generate up to 10.4MW of electricity annually, provide drinking water to about 500,000 people and supplement irrigation for upto 30,000-40,000 fedan. “This (...) - News / South Sudan, Egypt, Diplomacy - International Relations

June 27, 2021 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudanese police arrested, on Sunday a group of supporters of the former regime suspected of planning violence during protests to commemorate June 30, 2019 events. Resistance committees will organize a popular rally on 30 June to commemorate the second anniversary of national protests on 30 June 2019 that forces the military council to accept handing over power to a civilian government. The General Attorney "arrested a group of remnants of the former regime (...) - News / FRONT_PAGE_SECONDARY, Democratic Transition in Sudan

June 27, 2021 (JUBA) – South Sudan has signed a $19.9 million project with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to boost productivity and food security in the country. The agreement was signed virtually by IFAD's President Gilbert F. Houngbo and South Sudan's Finance minister, Athian Ding Athian. A project, IFAD said in a statement, is expected to bring the much needed help to 38,800 rural households facing the impacts of poverty, food insecurity and climate change. In (...) - News / South Sudan, Food security

June 27, 2021 (KHARTOUM) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken voiced his support to an initiative by the Sudanese Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok to address huge challenges facing the fragile democratic transition in the East African country. Blinken spoke by telephone with the Hamdok on Sunday, five days after an initiative launched by the Sudanese premier calling for national unity to achieve the goals of transition in the country and to reform the military and security sector. "The (...) - News / FRONT_PAGE_DISPLAY

June 26, 2021 (WASHINGTON/ADDIS ABABA) – The United States government has condemned Thursday's killing of three humanitarian workers in Ethiopia's Tigray region, calling for an independent investigation and for the perpetrators to be held accountable for these killings. “We are appalled and deeply saddened to learn about the horrific killings of three Doctors Without Borders staff members in Ethiopia's Tigray region today [Thursday],” Ned Price, US State Department Spokesperson said in a (...) - News / Ethiopia, United States (US), FRONT_PAGE_SECONDARY, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)

June 26, 2021 (DJIBOUTI) - Finance Ministers from the East and Horn of Africa regions met in Djibouti on Saturday to discuss regional connectivity through trade, digital markets and energy. In attendance, according to Ethiopia's Foreign Affairs ministry, were Finance ministers of Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya, Somalia and Sudan. The meeting also evaluated progress witnessed so far in areas such as trade and energy in the region a way forward devised. During the meeting, Ethiopia's Finance (...) - News / Dijibouti, Trade

By Mahmoud A. Suleiman This article comes against the backdrop of the threats of the Arab Republic of Egypt to launch fierce warfare against Ethiopia over the filling and operating of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). The proverb says that sedition is asleep; God's curse is on those who awaken it. Sudan continued suffering from the decades of Egyptian exploitation, which has plunged Sudan into hard-to-resolve suffering; especially the woes its citizens in the former Halfa region (...) - Comment & Analysis

June 25, 2021 (KHARTOUM) - The historical components of the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) Friday agreed to put aside their differences and form a single leadership again. On 22 June, Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok called to end divisions within the political forces and the military components. Instead, he proposed to reunite efforts to accomplish the democratic transition, including the integration of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) into the unified national army. The current FFC (...) - News / FRONT_PAGE_DISPLAY, Democratic Transition in Sudan

June 25, 2021 (KHARTOUM) - The U.S. Fiscal Transparency Report for 2021 praised the Sudanese government for preparing budget documents according to international standards but blamed the lack of clarity in the economic activities of the Sudanese military. In a report released on Friday, U.S. State Department released an assessment reviewing the transparency of the transitional government in Sudan led by Abdallah Hamdok during the first fiscal year 2020. "The government made significant (...) - News / United States (US), Sudan Armed Forces (SAF), FRONT_PAGE_SECONDARY

June 25, 2021 (KHARTOUM) - The Chiefs of Staff of the Sudanese and Egyptian armies signed a joint cooperation agreement between the two countries on Thursday. According to the Sudanese military media stated that chiefs of staff in the two countries concluded a memorandum of understanding for joint cooperation between the two armies at the end of an unannounced meeting held in Khartoum. The deal was signed by Sudanese Army Chief of Staff Lt-Gen Mohamed Osman al-Hussein and his Egyptian (...) - News / FRONT_PAGE_DISPLAY

June 24, 2021 (KHARTOUM) - The ruling coalition of the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) and the Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF), led by Al-Hadi Idris, announced their support for the initiative of Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok to establish a «historic bloc» to support the democratic transition in Sudan. Hamdok's initiative also calls to involve civilians in the reform of the security and military sector, and limit the role of the Security and Defense Council to the development of a (...) - News / FRONT_PAGE_SECONDARY