April 5, 2021 (NAIROBI) - The Emeritus Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Juba, Paulino Lukudu Loro is dead. He was 81. Lukudu, the Catholic Archdiocese of Juba said in a statement, passed on at a hospital in Nairobi, Kenya on Monday morning. “His Grace Archbishop Paulino Lukudu Loro, a star that ceaselessly was shining over our church and nation for well over thirty years has this morning flickered out in the Kenyan capital city Nairobi,” the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Juba, (...) - News / FRONT_PAGE_DISPLAY, Religion

April 4, 2021(JUBA) - A total of 58 women and children abducted during last year's vicious intercommunal fighting in South Sudan's Jonglei State have reunited with their families, the United Nations mission in the country (UNMISS) said. The exchange of abducted women and children came following a community-led goodwill agreement between the Lou Nuer, Murle and Dinka Bor ethnic communities, according to UNMISS. Intensive efforts to broker peace between the three communities have been (...) - News / South Sudan, FRONT_PAGE_SECONDARY, UNMISS - United Nations Mission in South Sudan

April 3, 2021 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan and South Sudan have affirmed the deep rooted relations between the two countries and importance of joint cooperation in the field of the oil sector. This was reached during a joint meeting held Monday in Khartoum between the Sudanese Minister of Energy and Oil, Eng. Gadain Ali Ebaid and his South Sudanese counterpart, Puot Kang. Ali Ebaid, SUNA reported on its website, underscored that the oil sector represents a priority for the people of the two (...) - News / Sudan, South Sudan, Oil - Petroleum

April 4, 2021 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudan Liberation Movement of Minni Minnawi (SLM-MM) expressed frustration over the limited progress in the implementation of the Juba peace agreement six months after its conclusion on 3 October 2020. «Despite the signing of the Juba agreement since six months ago, the structures of the transitional government have not been completed,» said the SLM-MM Spokesman in a statement extended to the Sudan Tribune on Sunday. Under the peace agreement, security (...) - News / FRONT_PAGE_SECONDARY, Democratic Transition in Sudan

April 4, 2021 (KHARTOUM) - Democratic Republic of Congo's President Felix Tshisekedi called on Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia to agree on a technical mechanism paving the way for a final settlement on the filing and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). Ministerial delegations from Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan Sunday have resumed meetings in the DRC capital Kinshasa on the GERD issue, after separate meetings with the three countries and the Congolese mediation team. Khartoum, (...) - News / FRONT_PAGE_DISPLAY, Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD)

by Dr Akec Khoc On March 24th 2021, Nhial Deng Nhial, Minister of Presidential affairs stated that President Salva Kiir is not imposing himself on the citizens. In response to this statement, I would like to make a short comment on why and how I disagree with the thesis advanced by the Minister, the official position of the regime. I and most South Sudanese citizens, inside and outside the country, believe President Kiir is actually imposing himself on the citizens and the Ruling Party (...) - Comment & Analysis

April 3, 2021 (KHARTOUM) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has invited the head of Sudan's Transitional Sovereign Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, to visit Ankara, said a statement released in Khartoum. According to a press statement issued by the Sovereign Council on Friday, al-Burhan during a phone call with President Erdogan discussed bilateral relations and issues of common concern at the regional and international levels. "Al-Burhan received an invitation from Erdogan to visit (...) - News / Turkey

April 3, 2021 (KHARTOUM) - Mustafa Tambour, leader of a Sudan Liberation Movement faction (SLM's) arrived in the capital, Khartoum, on Saturday, after signing the Juba peace agreement last March. Tambour was a former military spokesman for the SLM, led by Abdel Wahid al-Nur before his arrest by the former regime on December 11, 2015, near Ed-Daein of East Darfur. However, he did not regain his group after his release in June 2017. He joined the Juba Peace Agreement on 25 March in a (...) - News

April 3, 2021 (WASHINGTON) – The Sudanese woman who escaped death row in her home country for the charge of apostasy has filed a lawsuit in U.S. district court last week against the government of Sudan seeking compensatory punitive damages for her ordeal. Meriam Yahia Ibrahim Ishag was sentenced to death by hanging in May 2014 after being convicted in Sudanese courts for allegedly converting from Islam to Christianity. According to Islamic Sharia law that was in place at the time apostasy (...) - News / United States (US), FRONT_PAGE_DISPLAY

April 3, 2021 (GEDAREF) - Sudan closed a main border crossing with neighbouring Ethiopia on Saturday after an attack on the Sudanese security force by Ethiopian militiamen. The strategic Gallabat-Metema crossing is used by traders and workers between the two countries but also serves as a transition point for Ethiopian goods imported or exported through Port Sudan on the Red Sea. The closure was decided after an attack by the militiamen against the Sudanese customs officers in presence of (...) - News / Ethiopia, FRONT_PAGE_SECONDARY

April 2, 2021 (KHARTOUM) - Sudanese government has raised the price of fuel which is now linked to the international market and the floated dollar. The price of petrol has risen to 150 Sudanese pounds from 122 pounds per litre, while the price of diesel has increased to 125 pounds from 115 pounds. In a circular seen by the Sudan Tribune to the service stations on Thursday, the Sudanese Oil Corporation announced that the new increase would be effective from the same day. The governmental (...) - News / FRONT_PAGE_DISPLAY, Inflation

April 2, 2021 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan wants a new approach to negotiations on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) to be adopted in the tripartite meeting which will take place in Kinshasa on Saturday. The Sudanese foreign ministry on Saturday said the foreign minister and the irrigation ministers will fly to the DR Congo capital to participate in the first meeting convened by the new chairperson of the African Union President Felix Tshisekedi. "The Sudanese delegation will participate (...) - News / Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), FRONT_PAGE_DISPLAY

April 2, 2021 (JUBA) - Paul Malong leader of the South Sudan United Front/Army- (SSUF) has appointed a deputy chairman and deputy chief of general staff for his group. In a statement extended to the Sudan Tribune on Friday, the group said Malong appointed «Maj-Gen James Ruach Dual as Deputy Chairman of the South Sudan United Front/Army». Also, he appointed Eng. Major General Daniel Riak Mach as Deputy Chief of General Staff for Training and Research. On 26 March, Malong appointed Malang (...) - News / FRONT_PAGE_SECONDARY

April 1, 2021 (KHARTOUM) - Sudanese Prime Minister reassured African Union about his government's ability to protect civilians in Darfur after the end of the hybrid operation in the western Sudan region. Abdallah Hamdok and head of the Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah al-Burhan met on Thursday with a visiting delegation of the African Union Peace and Security Council (PSC), at the end of a three-day field mission from 29 March to 1 April. The purpose of the visit is to assess the (...) - News / Democratic Transition in Sudan, FRONT_PAGE_SECONDARY

April 1, 2021 (BOR) - South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has said his government will prioritize the fight against hunger across the young nation. The South Sudanese leader made the remarks while addressing citizens during his visit to the Jonglei state capital, Bor on Thursday. The situation remains dire across the country as almost 7 million people or 60 percent of the population are struggling to find enough food each day, aid agencies say. “The president and his accompanying delegation (...) - News / FRONT_PAGE_SECONDARY, South Sudan, Famine

April 1, 2021 (YEI) - The Leadership of National Salvation Front (NAS) has strongly refuted allegations that its forces recently ambushed and killed people on the Juba-Yei road. At least nine Ugandan drivers were been killed in a deadly ambush on the Yei-Juba highway in neighboring South Sudan last weekend, authorities confirmed. The opposition group, in a statement, said it was not the first time its forces were wrongly accused by President Salva Kiir's government. “On the same note, NAS (...) - News / South Sudan, Banditry / Robbery

March 31, 2021 (JUBA) – 78 percent of killing, injuries, abductions and other forms of violence were committed by community-based militias in South Sudan, the United Nations Mission in the country said. The shocking revelations are contained in an “Annual Brief on Violence Affecting Civilians” released by Human Rights Division of UNMISS, which documented last year's killing of 2,421 civilians. Over 1,500 people, the report noted, were injured last year, up from 866 in 2019. “Many of the (...) - News / South Sudan, FRONT_PAGE_SECONDARY, UNMISS - United Nations Mission in South Sudan

March 31, 2021 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudanese and Egyptian armies are conducting new joint air exercises with the participation of special operations units, four months after similar drills. On 15 November 2020, the two armies launched joint air exercises, dubbed The Nile Eagles1, in Sudan's Marawi military airbase, north of Khartoum. The Nile Eagles 2, which aim to build up capabilities and to carry out joint operations involving special forces, come amid the growing tensions in the region (...) - News / FRONT_PAGE_SECONDARY

March 31, 2021 (JUBA) - The Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (R-JMEC) has called for the quick reconstitution of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA), while urging the parties to the peace deal to adhere to the 35% level of women's representation in appointments to it. In a statement to the RJMEC members, the Interim Chairperson H.E. Maj. Gen. Charles Tai Gituai said a reconstituted TNLA is required to enact a range of legislations critical to the (...) - News / South Sudan, Politics, Women & Girls

March 30, 2021 (KAMPALA) - At least nine Ugandan drivers were been killed in deadly road ambushes in neighboring South Sudan over the weekend, a Ugandan official said. Addressing lawmakers, Uganda's state minister for internal affairs, Obiga Kania said the nine drivers were shot dead on the Yei-Juba highway. "The number is not yet clear because some of the people who were injured could have died. This matter is known to the ministry of foreign affairs because these people died in South (...) - News / Banditry / Robbery, Uganda, South Sudan

March 30, 2021 (GADAREF) - Eritrean forces killed two refugees on the Sudanese-Ethiopian border as they were returning to their areas in Tigray from the Hamdayet reception centre on the Sudanese border. Many Ethiopians who recently fled their areas of origin after the eruption of fighting in the restive Tigray decided to return home due to the lack of services in the crowded reception centres, as the two existing camps are full and a third one has not yet been established. Eyewitnesses in (...) - News / FRONT_PAGE_SECONDARY

March 30, 2021 (WASHINGTON) – The International Monetary Fund said it had released $174.2 million to South Sudan under its Rapid Credit Facility (RCF) for urgent balance of payments needs. "The pandemic-related oil price shock and devastating floods have led to an economic downturn. The ... downturn widened the fiscal and the balance of payments deficits, opening large financing gaps in the absence of concessional financing,” IMF said in a statement on Tuesday. “It expected the economy would (...) - News / South Sudan, Development - Aid, International Monetary Fund (IMF)

March 30, 2021 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's Security and Defence Council directed the armed groups, signatory of the Juba peace agreement, to stop the recruitment of new fighters and to end the presence of their armed elements in Khartoum. On Tuesday, the Technical Committee of the Security and Defence Council held headed by the Chief of Staff of the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) Lt Gen Mohamed Osman al-Hussein a meeting at the Presidential Palace. In a statement extended to the Sudan Tribune, SAF (...) - News / FRONT_PAGE_DISPLAY

March 29, 2021 (TORIT) - At least14 people were killed and seven others injured in an attack that occurred in Budi County of South Sudan's Eastern Equatoria State on Sunday, an official said. The state press secretary, Aliandro Lotok was quoted saying unknown gunmen attacked Camp 15 area at around 1:00am [local time] while people were sleeping, killing 12 women and two children. "The state government has condemned the incident in the strongest term possible. We would like to assure our (...) - News / FRONT_PAGE_SECONDARY, Eastern Equatoria State (EES)

March 29, 2021 (KHARTOUM) - The United States and the European Union are ready to help the three riparian countries resolve their dispute over the filing and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), the Sovereign Council said on Monday. U.S. Special Envoy Donald Booth and EU Representative to Sudan Robert van den Dool met with the head of the Sovereign Council Abdell-Burhan on Monday to discuss the GERD and border tensions between Sudan and Ethiopia. The U.S. and EU envoys (...) - News / FRONT_PAGE_SECONDARY, Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD)

March 29, 2021 (JUBA) – A South Sudanese activist has expressed concerns over the growing insecurity incidences across the country, saying it totally undermines the spirit of peaceful transitioning. The concerns come in the wake of recent killing of civilians by armed men in Upper Nile state capital, Malakal and another incident which occurred at Camp 15 of Budi County in Eastern Equatoria State. “These are acts of undermining the peaceful transitioning of the country from violence to (...) - News / South Sudan Peace Implementation, South Sudan

March 28, 2021 (KHARTOUM) - The Khartoum police chief has been transferred from his post after his call to reinstate the oppressive Public Order Law. Lt Gen Issa Adam last week called to reinstate the Public Order Law to curb «negative practices» referring to women dress after the collapse of the Islamist regime. On Sunday, Sudan Police Command decided to appoint Lt Gen Zain al-Abidin Osman as Director of Khartoum State Police. Adam for his part has been transferred to the headquarter of (...) - News

March 28, 2021 (KHARTOUM) - The leader of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) praised the courage of the head of the Sovereign Council after the signing of the Declaration of Principles (DoP) separating religion and state. The DoP was signed by Adel Fattah al-Burhan and Abdel Aziz al-Hilu Juba, Sunday, in a ceremony attended by President Salva Kiir and WFP Executive Director David Beasley who become a de facto facilitator for negotiations to end the conflict in the Blue (...) - News / FRONT_PAGE_DISPLAY

March 28, 2021 (NAIROBI) - South Sudan's former army chief of General Paul Malong Awan has appointed a military chief of general staff for the South Sudan United Front/Army (SSUF/A). Malong, in a decree extended to Sudan Tribune, appointed General Malang Kerbino Kuanyin Bol as the Chief of General Staff for his rebel movement. The March 26, 2021 order also saw General Dickson Gatluak Joak appointed Deputy Chief of Staff for Administration and Finance, General Agany Deng Baak as Deputy (...) - News

March 27, 2021 (KHARTOUM) - Medical workers in the capital of South Kordofan are on strike after repeated abuse of authority and intimidation against them by the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF). «Since 17th March 2021, Kadogli civil hospitals workers have been on strike due to intimidation of medical personnel by SAF soldiers,» said a local rights group Hudo in a statement extended to the Sudan Tribune. A SAF force under the command of an officer known as Al-Jox halted an ambulance of Kadugli (...) - News

March 27, 2021 (JUBA) - The Chinese embassy in South Sudan has refuted claims that China may take over the newly renovated Juba International Airport should South Sudan fail to pay its loans. A statement the embassy on Tuesday said, “the rumors have been made up to exaggerate the amount of China's loan to South Sudan, so as to blame the East Asian country for creating a ‘debt trap'.” According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Chinese loans account for about 10 percent of South Sudan's (...) - News / South Sudan, China, FRONT_PAGE_SECONDARY

March 27, 2021 (NAIROBI) - Human rights activists in South Sudan are facing threats, intimidation and harassment, with those seen as a threat by government becoming a target, a new report says. The 43-page report by Front Line Defenders said many human rights defenders have been forced to leave South Sudan and end up becoming one of the millions of Sudan Sudanese refugees. The Dublin-based entity accused South Sudan's National Security Service (NSS) of being responsible most of the threats (...) - News / South Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, FRONT_PAGE_SECONDARY

March 27, 2021 (JUBA) - The head of the Sovereign Council and the leader of the SPLM-N have agreed to separate between state and religion and to form a single national army at the end of the transitional period. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Abdel-Aziz al-Hilu held two meetings in Juba on 3 March and 27 March and they are expected to sign a Declaration of Principle (DoP) on Sunday 28 March recognizing «the impartiality» of the state in term of religious matters. Also, the final draft (...) - News / FRONT_PAGE_DISPLAY

March 26, 2021 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan has fulfilled needed qualifying conditions for clearing its $50 billion external debt under the Enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative, said the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Friday. On Friday, the US Treasury Department provided a loan bridge of $1.15 billion to clear its arrears at the World Bank and be eligible to borrow from the World Bank's International Development Agency (IDA). This step was the last (...) - News / FRONT_PAGE_DISPLAY

March 26, 2021 (KHARTOUM) - The UN sanctions committee for Sudan declined Khartoum's demand to remove three Sudanese from a Security Council list of sanction established under resolution 1591 (2005) on the Darfur conflict. On 25 March, the head of Sudan sanctions committee Sven Jürgenson, briefing the 15-member body about the security situation in Darfur saying there is a notable drop in violence. However, he underlined the need to prioritize civilians' protection. Jürgenson further rejected (...) - News / FRONT_PAGE_SECONDARY