South Sudan&

The eight men from Laos, Cuba, Myanmar, Mexico, Vietnam, and South Sudan were deported from the US in May but ended up being held under guard for weeks at an American military base in Djibouti following a legal battle.

Majok's dismissal comes at a time of heightened unrest, particularly in the country's northeast region, where government forces have been battling the White Army, a Nuer-dominated ethnic militia.

WFP aims to reach 470,000 people in Upper Nile and Northern Jonglei during the ongoing lean season, the hungriest period of the year that runs through August.

The report shows that South Sudan recorded 1,607 victims of violence in the first quarter of 2025, including 679 injured, 149 abducted, and 40 subjected to conflict-related sexual violence.

MSF has raised an alarm that, while medical response efforts are ongoing, the onset of the rainy season poses a grave threat. The resulting floods are expected to disrupt access, complicate aid delivery, and hasten the spread of waterborne diseases such as cholera.

The capital has been divided into ten administrative zones in an attempt to streamline the registration process and strengthen oversight of tax compliance.

In May, escalating violence along the South Sudan–Ethiopia border forced MSF to relocate its medical operations from the border town of Burbeiye, South Sudan, to Mattar, Ethiopia, amid intensified fighting and mass displacement in the region.

The statement emphasised that the reopening reflects "the continued strength of bilateral relations and the shared commitment of both countries to maintaining close diplomatic engagements."

The decision follows an incident in April when armed men stormed the facility, threatened staff and looted medical supplies, forcing the hospital to temporarily suspend its services.

SSPDF spokesperson Major General Lul Ruai Koang announced the one-week disarmament ultimatum in a statement to newsrooms on Monday, noting that military personnel have already been deployed to the two states.

The decree empowers the government to deploy additional security forces and authorises "all necessary measures" to restore order in the conflict-hit areas.

The UN Security Council imposed an arms embargo on South Sudan in July 2018 to stop weapons from fueling its civil war, which had led to thousands of deaths and severe human rights violations. The arms embargo and related sanctions have been renewed annually, most recently extended to May 31, 2026.

According to South Sudan, the extension undermines the nation's delicate peace efforts and complicates the unification of its armed forces.

The embargo, first imposed in 2018 following years of ethnic conflict that the UN estimates has claimed nearly 400,000 lives, marks its seventh renewal. It also includes targeted sanctions such as asset freezes and travel bans on individuals.

Vivacell and its mother company, BVI, moved to court in 2018, lodging 17 claims against South Sudan and demanding $2.9 billion (around Sh375.1 billion) in compensation.

Anin Ngot Ngot Mou, undersecretary in the Ministry of Health, described the rollout as a game changer in the fight against two of the country's leading causes of child mortality.

International efforts to end the conflict have included a United Nations (UN) embargo on arms transfers to the parties to the conflict, which expires on May 31.

The surge in violence was triggered by clashes at the border and exchanges of fire between the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces and an opposition group, forcing many residents to flee. A majority had left the area by May 12 this year.

Truckers argue that drivers from Kenya and other neighbouring countries frequently find themselves imprisoned over minor infractions, which is largely attributed to poor road infrastructure in South Sudan.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk warned of a further deterioration in the human rights situation following a sharp increase in hostilities, arbitrary arrests, and hate speech in the country.

The resulting impact of the prolonged conflict has been the displacement of people; currently, more than 60,000 have been reportedly displaced from Upper Nile state.

The president, it added, "continues to carry out his presidential duties with vigour, commitment, sound health and complete fitness."

Aid workers are now caught between two impossible choices: send supplies into areas where they might be looted, or hold them back and risk running out altogether.

This means the Security Council has authorised the peacekeeping mission to "use all necessary means" to implement its mandate, including the protection of civilians.

MSF said on Saturday that at least seven people had been killed and 20 wounded in South Sudan's Fangak county when a bomb was dropped on the pharmacy, burning it to the ground and damaging the hospital, followed by another drone attack on Old Fangak, a town in the Greater Upper Nile region.

The high-level visit to Juba came amid mounting tensions and stalled progress in the implementation of the 2018 accord.

IGAD's Executive Secretary Workneh Gebeyehu urged all actors to avoid unilateral actions and respect the framework of the 2018 accord, still regarded as South Sudan's best shot at sustainable peace.

In a statement, the organisation condemned the attack, which began at approximately 4:30 am when two helicopter gunships dropped a bomb on the hospital’s pharmacy, setting it ablaze. The aircraft then continued to fire on the town of Old Fangak for around 30 minutes.

The mission's renewal reflects a sobering reality: the country's internal fragility continues to pose a threat to regional peace and security.

Human Rights Watch estimates that 17 individuals remain incarcerated in Juba without formal charges.

Machar's detention under house arrest, for trying to stir up a rebellion through his supposed support for the White Army militia in Upper Nile, has ignited international fears of renewed conflict along ethnic lines.

The team is expected to work closely with the U.S. Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security to ensure a "legal, orderly, and dignified return process."

UN Special Representative Nicholas Haysom warned that the current conditions are "darkly reminiscent of the 2013 and 2016 conflicts, which took over 400,000 lives," referring to the brutal civil wars that followed South Sudan's independence in 2011 and devastated the young nation.

The appointment comes after the abrupt dismissal of former minister Ramadan Abdalla Goc earlier this week.

The diplomatic wrangle with US comes at a time when the government is also facing internal political strain over the continuing house arrest of First Vice President Riek Machar.

Experts have warned that the cuts - including the cancellation of more than 90% of USAID's contracts - could cost millions of lives in the coming years due to malnutrition, AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and other diseases.

South Sudan is a member of IGAD, a regional bloc comprising eight countries from the Horn of Africa, the Nile Valley and the Great Lakes Region.

US President Donald Trump's administration has taken aggressive measures to increase immigration enforcement, including the repatriation of people deemed to be in the US illegally.

US President Donald Trump's administration has taken aggressive measures to ramp up immigration enforcement, including the repatriation of people deemed to be in the US illegally.

Behind the diplomatic language lies a tense and rapidly deteriorating political crisis that risks dragging the region back into conflict.

The AU delegation's flight arrived at Juba's airport on Wednesday afternoon with a "Council of the Wise" which included former Burundian President Domitien Ndayizeye and former Kenyan judge Effie Owuor.

Mudavadi also acknowledged that the ongoing crises, including the South Sudan conflict, Al-Shabaab threats, and instability in Marsabit, have delayed the progress of the government’s Shirika Plan.

As questions swirl over the clarity and coordination of Odinga's special envoy role, one thing remains clear—Juba is not amused.

In a statement issued from Addis Ababa on Monday, the AUC chief expressed "solidarity with the Government and people of South Sudan," reaffirming the African Union's "unwavering commitment to dialogue, reconciliation, and lasting peace."

He warned that the Horn of Africa is already in turmoil and cannot withstand another conflict, urging immediate de-escalation.

Now a decade on, Kiir's administration has detained Machar, his longtime rival, threatening once again to ignite conflict in an impoverished country in the middle of an increasingly fragile region.

Reports that Machar – a long-time rival of President Salva Kiir – was arrested on Wednesday prompted international calls for restraint. Kenya sent its former prime minister, Raila Odinga, to defuse tensions.

First Vice President Riek Machar was put under house arrest in the capital Juba on Wednesday, in effect voiding a 2018 peace deal that ended a five-year civil war.

It is understood that Raila is set to travel to South Sudan on Friday to help prevent further conflict in the country.

Machar rejoined the SPLA in 2002, and after a 2005 peace deal that ended civil war and established southern autonomy, he became vice-president of the South, retaining the position after South Sudan's independence in 2011 until his sacking in 2013.