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June 22-28, 2015

Media Monitoring Report for South Sudan
Posted on July 3, 2015

Contents

Compiled by Vincent Marquis

1.      Tensions and preparation ahead of peace negotiations

2.      Four killed in Lakes state attack

3.      Renewed fighting in Jonglei and Upper Nile states

4.      UN to impose first sanctions on military commanders

1. Tensions and preparation ahead of peace negotiations
Independent/Privately-owned media (online)

(Eye Radio, independent/privately-owned media, article dated June 25, 2015, in English)

"Final peace deal may be signed before 9 July"

  • The SPLM Secretary-General, Pagan Amum, says a final peace agreement to end the current conflict may be signed before the 9th of July. Amum took oath of office on Tuesday after more than a year as a former political detainee in exile.
  • “The first national priority today is stopping this war, the devastating war that has been raging in South Sudan,” Amum said. “We shall be working to engage the two warring parties towards signing a comprehensive agreement that will end this war and usher South Sudan into peace.”

 

(Sudan Tribune, independent/privately-owned online media platform, article dated June 25, 2015, in English)

"SPLM secretary-general meets South Sudanese rebel leader"

  • The newly reinstated secretary-general of the ruling SPLM party in South Sudan, Pagan Amum, met with former vice-president, Riek Machar, to discuss a way forward in the peace process in order to end the 18-month long conflict.
  •  Rebel spokesman James Gatdet Dak said the meeting focused on the need to expeditiously achieve peace in the country through the two processes of the Arusha intraparty dialogue and the Addis Ababa comprehensive peace process.
  • Dak said that Amum informed the opposition leadership about his new role as reinstated secretary-general and revealed that president Kiir would travel to Nairobi and meet with Machar under the auspices of the Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta.

 

(Sudan Tribune, independent/privately-owned online media platform, article dated June 26, 2015, in English)

"South Sudan peace talks to resume next July"

  • The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) revealed that the South Sudan peace negotiations will resume later in July in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, shortly after Ramadan.
  •  Until talks resume, IGAD lead mediator Seyoum Mesfin said mediators will continue to consult the two conflicting parties and work on a draft of the agreement.
  • The fresh round of talks will incorporate the African Union, United Nations, European Union, China, the Troika (UK, US, Norway), as well as five African countries (South Africa, Nigeria, Algeria, Chad, and Rwanda).

 

(Sudan Tribune, independent/privately-owned online media platform, article dated June 27, 2015, in English)

"South Sudan’s former detainees unveil peace plan to stop war"

  • The group of South Sudanese former political detainees who have now re-joined president Salva Kiir’s government have unveiled a plan to bring peace to the country.
  •  Former cabinet affairs minister Deng Alor Kuol revealed that the group has now undertaken the process of reunifying the SPLM, pointing out that efforts were being made to bring on board the armed opposition leadership led by Riek Machar.
  • Kuol said that once the unity of the SPLM leadership is achieved, the issues of peace, reconciliation and healing will be given full attention, underlining that the SPLM leadership would then focus on them as the next step to ensuring the return of peace and stability.

 

(Sudan Tribune, independent/privately-owned online media platform, article dated June 27, 2015, in English)

"Kiir and Machar fail to agree in Nairobi"

  • Rival South Sudanese leaders failed to agree on a way forward in their consultative meeting under the auspices of Kenyan president, Uhuru Kenyatta, the rebels’ foreign relations official revealed on social media.
  •  “The meeting between Former Vice-President and Leader of SPLM/SPLA Dr Riek Machar Teny and President Salva Kiir Mayardit hosted by President Uhuru Kenyatta on June 27, 2015 had not achieved any breakthrough,” said Ezekiel Gatkuoth, deputy chairman of national committee for foreign relations.
  •  He said the meeting failed when president Salva Kiir allegedly refused to discuss the agenda which included federalism, compensation and reparation as well as power-sharing in the two regions of Bahr el Ghazal and Equatoria.
2. Four killed in Lakes state attack
Independent/Privately-owned media (online)

(Sudan Tribune, independent/privately-owned online media platform, article dated June 23, 2015, in English)

"Four killed in Lakes state attack"

  • At least four people were killed in Lakes state after armed youth attacked a police cell in Yirol West County to free detained colleagues.
  • Makeny Aciek, a police officer in Aluakluak, confirmed the incident saying “clashes between the Awan and Acok clans occurred in Yirol West county…Efforts to apprehend the suspects is hard because residents usually refuse to share information with security agents.”
  • Over the years, the Acok clan has regularly been in conflict with the Awan sub-clan. In 2012, clashes erupted in Amack between the the two clans, leaving several people dead.
3. Renewed fighting in Jonglei and Upper Nile states
Independent/Privately-owned media (online)

(Sudan Tribune, independent/privately-owned online media platform, article dated June 23, 2015, in English)

SPLM-IO accuses government forces of renewed fighting in Jonglei

  • South Sudanese rebels said government forces have attacked their positions at Canal area in Jonglei state as their full scale offensive against opposition fighters continued in violation of the cessation of hostilities agreement.
  • Rebel spokesman James Gatdet Dak Rebels added that they nevertheless repulsed the government troops on Tuesday, which he said resulted in the capture of Doleib Hill, a government-controlled town near Malakal, capital of the oil-rich Upper Nile state.
  • Dak accused the government of continuing with the offensive as regional leaders are preparing for the resumption of peace talks in Addis Ababa between the two warring parties.

 

(Sudan Tribune, independent/privately-owned online media platform, article dated June 28, 2015, in English)

Rebels claim recapture of strategic Malakal town in Upper Nile

  • The South Sudanese armed opposition faction led by Riek Machar said their forces captured Malakal, the state capital of the oil-rich Upper Nile state, after several hours of fighting with government troops.
  •  Upper Nile state information Minister Peter Hoth Tuach said that fighting between the government and the opposition forces had broken out but that government soldiers were controlling the situation.
  • Gordon Buay, one of the representatives of the government mission to the United States, denied that Malakal had fallen under control of the armed opposition forces. “Malakal has not fallen to the rebels,” he said. “Our forces are inside Malakal town now. They are resisting the rebels.”

 

4. UN to impose first sanctions on military commanders
Independent/Privately-owned media (online)

(Sudan Tribune, independent/privately-owned online media platform, article dated June 26, 2015, in English)

  • The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is expected to impose a first wave of sanctions on a number of South Sudanese rival military commanders when the Council sits on Monday, 29 June.
  • A proposal for sanctions put forward by the United States has already identified at least 6 commanders, three from each side of the civil war between president Salva Kiir’s government and the armed opposition faction led by former vice president, Riek Machar.

 

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