South Sudan

Besides, he also disclosed that fighting broke out on Wednesday after their forces prevented two coordinated attacks from the SSPDF in Jamara Saba and Limuro areas in Lainya County.

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification report released in June notes that the overall malnutrition burden among children under five has increased from 2.1 million to 2.3 million.

On Thursday, state-run television announced that Finance Minister Dr. Marial Dongrin Ater and Investment Minister Dr. Dhieu Mathok Diing had been shown the door.

The role, once held by Benjamin Bol Mel recently elevated to vice-president in charge of the Economic Cluster, has been vacant for months.

Furthermore, the displacement crisis is a two-way street, Murtiga explained: the devastating civil war in neighbouring Sudan has driven 1.2 million refugees into South Sudan, straining already-limited resources.

The warning was issued by Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) interim chairperson, Ambassador Major General (Rtd) George Aggrey Owino, during a briefing to the United Nations Security Council on Monday.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said the claims are baseless and not a reflection of the official position or policy of the Government of the Republic of South Sudan.

According to Joe Szlavik, Juba wants Washington to lift its travel ban on South Sudan and remove sanctions against some of its political elites, a sign that the US could be involved in any final arrangement.

The steep decline in support—largely due to global funding reductions from key donors such as USAID—has severely strained access to essential services, including food distribution, healthcare, clean water, and sanitation.

MSF is now calling for accountability and firm guarantees of staff safety from authorities and all parties involved in the conflict, including armed groups operating in Morobo and Yei River counties.

South Sudan faces both worsening droughts and record-breaking floods that destroy crops and fuel food insecurity. These climate shocks can have implications for conflict.

According to South Sudanese officials, the clash began when Ugandan forces crossed into South Sudanese territory and launched an unprovoked attack using tanks and artillery.

James Kagiri was driving to work in the company of another engineer at around 8:00 am when unknown gunmen attacked their vehicle along the Morobo-Kaya road.

The alleged incident occurred on the afternoon of July 28 in Nyainga-Muda, a settlement in Kangapo II Payam of Kajo-Keji County, Central Equatoria State.

Commercial banks have reportedly been unable to dispense funds despite confirmation that salaries were deposited weeks ago.

With over 40 years of presence in South Sudan, MSF is now calling on all parties to the conflict to respect international humanitarian law and protect healthcare workers, patients, and medical facilities.

The statement came after the WFP said last week that it urgently required $274 million to maintain support for just the 2.5 million most acutely food insecure through the end of the year.

Speaking at the opening of the session in Juba on Wednesday, President Salva Kiir Mayardit called on MPs to move beyond rhetoric and "serve the nation with honour, unity, and a renewed commitment to peace and prosperity as the nation advances on its transitional journey."

South Sudan has been under a United Nations arms embargo since 2018, which prohibits weapons transfers and external military support to the country's warring parties.

The visit comes in the wake of a diplomatic standoff earlier this year, after Juba initially resisted accepting a Congolese national deported by the Trump administration.

President Salva Kiir outlined a clear roadmap for military transformation, calling for the elimination of so-called "ghost names" from the SSPDF payroll - a long-standing issue that has drained public resources.

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.