Following the independence of South Sudan, Insight on Conflict will be producing a weekly round-up of the news. To subscribe to receive the updates via email, please contact joel@insightonconflict.org or complete the form below.
News roundup
- The North Sudanese armed forces say they have captured a key rebel stronghold in Blue Nile. The rebels deny this. The US has called on North Sudan to allow humanitarian access to South Kordofan and Blue Nile.
- Inflation in South Sudan reached 61.5% last month.
- The leader of the Liberation and Justice Movement, a Darfur rebel group which has recently signed a peace deal with the government, has been sworn in as leader of the Darfur regional authority.
- North Sudan has announced economic reforms aimed at dealing with the loss of revenue following southern independence.
- A new report from the International Crisis Group says South Sudan is facing oil-linked instability.
- The editor of an independent newspaper in North Sudan says its Sunday edition was banned by the government.
- The British ambassador to Sudan was summoned after criticising the government and the economy.
- The ICC has asked Malawi to explain why it didn't arrest North Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on a visit to the country last week. The ICC has warned it may refer the matter to the UN Security Council.
News in detail
Darfur
CNN: Sudan's rebels prepared to attack, leader says 17 Oct: The leader of Sudan's best-armed rebel group says an offensive against Khartoum could come soon if the Sudanese government rejects renegotiating the Darfur peace agreement. Read more
Sudan Tribune: Darfur peace partners vow full implementation of Doha agreement 22 Oct: The Sudanese government officials and leader of the Liberation and Equality Movement (LJM) pledged on Saturday to fully implement the Doha Darfur Peace Document (DDPD) and called on the non-signatory rebels to join their efforts for a lasting settlement to eight year conflict in Western Sudan. Read more
Sudan Tribune: Darfur rebel chief sworn in as head of regional authority 23 Oct: The head of a Darfur rebel group was sworn in by president Omer Hassan al-Bashir on Sunday as the head of the regional authority to satisfy one of the main deliverables of the Doha Darfur Peace Document (DDPD). Read more
Blue Nile and South Kordofan
Reuters: Sudan says seizes town in border state, rebels deny 21 Oct: Sudan's armed forces have seized a town close to a rebel stronghold in the border state of Blue Nile where fighting has been going on for almost two months, state media said on Thursday. Read more
Sudan Tribune: US calls on Sudan to allow humanitarian access in S. Kordofan and Blue Nile 22 Oct: The United Special envoy to Sudan Princeton Lyman urged Khartoum to allow "credible" international organizations to reach the border states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile in order to assess the humanitarian situation. Read more
South Sudan
AFP: South Sudan aims to weed out 'rogue' staff in ministries 19 Oct: South Sudan's new government is to screen ministries to try to weed out "rogue" employees who account for up to 65 per cent of the civil service workforce, an official said on Wednesday. Read more
AFP: South Sudan 'faces oil-linked instability' 19 Oct: Instability in South Sudan's oil-rich Unity state threatens the already fragile, newly independent country, the International Crisis Group has warned Read more
Reuters: South Sudan inflation jumps to 61.5 pct in September 19 Oct: South Sudan's annual inflation rate accelerated to 61.5 per cent in September from 57.1 per cent in August on a surge in food prices, the new African nation said. Read more
Reuters: South Sudan sees pound rising after doubling dollar 21 Oct: South Sudan expects the South Sudanese pound to improve further after doubling the monthly supply of foreign currency to financial institutions, central bank officials said on Friday. Read more
Reuters: South Sudan welcomes US military help to fight LRA 21 Oct: South Sudan is welcoming U.S. military assistance to help fight Ugandan rebels of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) accused of murder, rape and kidnapping children, officials said on Friday. Read more
North Sudan
Reuters: Sudan summons UK ambassador for criticising economy 18 Oct: Sudan summoned on Tuesday the British ambassador after he said it was no surprise that protests against food inflation "in a country where hunger stalks the land" had erupted in the past few weeks in the capital. Read more
Reuters: Sudan to cut budget, tax more, employ fewer foreigners 19 Oct: Sudan wants to overcome a severe economic crisis by cutting spending and imports, taxing more people and relying less on foreign workers, President Omar Hassan al-Bashir said on Wednesday. Read more
Reuters: Hague court questions Bashir's visit to Malawi 19 Oct: The International Criminal Court has demanded that Malawi explain why it failed to arrest Sudanese president and genocide suspect Omar al-Bashir during a recent visit, warning it could refer the matter to the United Nations Security Council. Read more
Reuters: Sudan bans edition of newspaper, editor says 23 Oct: Sudanese security forces banned an independent newspaper from publishing its Sunday edition, its editor said, in the latest crackdown against media in the African country. Read more
