Waterlilies Sustain South Sudanese Fleeing Civil War Horrors By Ilya Gridneff, Bloomberg news 22 September 2014 Mary Jorjor is no longer a mother. All seven of her children died in fighting that has consumed South Sudan since December and turned independence for the world’s newest nation into a nightmare. Her three daughters were killed during the explosion of violence in the capital, Juba, while her sons died after they joined rebel forces, Jorjor,

U.S. sanctions military officers on both sides of South Sudan conflict By Arshad Mohammed, Reuters 18 September 2014 The United States imposed sanctions on two military officers on opposite sides of the ethnic violence in South Sudan on Thursday in a demonstration of U.S. frustration that fighting has continued despite two ceasefires. Thousands have been killed and more than 1 million have fled their homes since December in South Sudan, the world's

Friends and Diaspora of South Sudan Urge Leaders to Choose Peace By Pam Omidyar, The Huffington Post 23 August 2014 Following the U.N. Security Council's recent emergency visit to South Sudan, IGAD Heads of State are scheduled to meet on Sunday, August 24, to discuss the possibility of a joint statement by the UNSC and IGAD regarding the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in South Sudan. Pressure is mounting on the warring parties by the international

The UN Remains Silent on August 26 Shoot-down of UNMISS Helicopter—but the evidence remains unambiguous: radio intercept makes clear that those responsible are the forces of Peter Gadet By Eric Reeves, www.sudanreeves.org 8 September 2014 It has been two weeks since a helicopter of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) was shot down near Bentiu on a routine flight from Wau.  Although promising a swift and thorough investigation, the UN seems

Rebels Shoot Down a UN Helicopter in South Sudan: Implications  Eric Reeves, Sudan Reeves 26 August 2014 A helicopter of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) was shot down today by forces under the command of notoriously brutal militia leader Peter Gadet.  A rocket-propelled grenade brought the aircraft down approximately ten kilometers outside Bentiu at 3:15pm local time, killing three crew members and seriously injuring a fourth.  The Mi-8

Germany commits 750,000 euros to help refugees in Ethiopia By Tesfa-Alem Tekle, Sudan Tribune 24 August 2014 Germany has contributed 750,000 euros to provide ongoing humanitarian assistance to hundreds of thousands of refugees in Ethiopia, mostly from South Sudan. In a statement issued on Saturday, the German embassy said that the donation would go directly to support relief operations by the World Food Program (WFP), which had been facing a funds

Why have women been excluded from peace-building in Sudan? By Awadiya Ahmed Yahia, The Guardian 26 August 2014 The 22-year-conflict in Sudan, which consumed so much of the country’s resources, ended with the secession of South Sudan to become an independent country in 2011, and the fighting played a major role in hindering women’s empowerment in Sudan. Given the importance of empowering women in the country, the UN Development Programme hopes

UN Helicopter Shot Down in South Sudan Cara Anna, The Associated Press 26 August 2014 A rebel commander who warned the U.N. not to fly over his territory shot down a U.N. helicopter Tuesday in rural South Sudan, charged a spokesman for a state governor. The U.N. confirmed that three people died and one survived — all Russian citizens — when one of its helicopters crashed. The U.N. said it is investigating the cause. The U.N. mission said that

Conditions at UN’s South Sudan camp inhumane, says MSF People forced to sleep standing up with children in their arms as flooding and insecurity near Bentiu make living conditions desperate  By Sam Jones, 21 August 2014 The Guardian The 40,000 people sheltering from South Sudan’s civil war in a flooded and crowded UN camp are enduring conditions “barely compatible with life and incompatible with human dignity”, and must be helped before

Millions of dollars of weapons worsening South Sudan war AFP News 19 August 2014 Millions of dollars of arms shipments have flooded South Sudan since civil war broke out eight months ago, weapons monitors said Tuesday, with countries key to peace also involved in the supply. The shipments are prolonging a conflict in which thousands of people have been killed and more than 1.5 million have been forced from their homes, monitors said. Rights groups