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 largest rebel group in Darfur, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) , say they have joined the fighting against the government in South Kordofan alongside the SPLA. The North denied the rebels have attacked government positions, but later claimed to have captured the JEM military commander.
- At the start of the week there were reports that the Sudanese government were open to the idea of peacekeepers in South Kordofan. However, the government later said the comments were taken out of context.
- South Sudan reached a peace deal with Gatluak Gai, leader of one of the many rebel groups operating in the country. Only for him to be killed days later. The circumstances of his death are disputed.
- Despite protests from SPLM MPs, the North Sudanese parliament extended the deadline for completing the controversial 'popular consultations' in South Kordofan and Blue Nile by six months.
- The ruling party in the North has reaffirmed their rejection of the idea of dual citizenship for Southerners living in the North.
- Both North and South have launched new currencies in the past week.
- South Sudan has shipped its first independent oil cargo.
News in detail
South Kordofan
Reuters: Darfur rebels say they joined border state fight 19 Jul: The most powerful rebel group in Sudan's western Darfur region said it successfully attacked a government position alongside anti-Khartoum fighters in a key oil state bordering South Sudan. http://af.reuters.com/article/sudanNews/idAFLDE76I0ZH20110719?sp=true
AFP: Sudan army denies Darfur rebel attack in South Kordofan 19 Jul: Sudan's army denied on Tuesday claims by one of the main Darfur rebel groups that it carried out a deadly attack on army positions in the embattled state of South Kordofan, local media reported. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gwnELGeEv928f9BGQxBCuJzeNs5w?docId=CNG.683c48c2b56ffbdeb1682f2da8863427.a21
AFP: Sudan minister open to foreign troops in South Kordofan 20 Jul: Sudan Foreign Minister Ali Ahmed Karti said Tuesday international troops would be welcome in South Kordofan, racked by heavy fighting since June, if anti-government forces agreed. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i60fwwstGjIlIAJTt9Ie8KBLyssQ?docId=CNG.832a4bd5d343e4861527751b5e0d9c50.601
Sudan Tribune: Sudan army claims capturing JEM military commander in South Kordofan 22 Jul: Sudan army on Thursday said it captured the top military leader of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) during clashes in the war-battered state of South Kordofan, dousing its own claims that the Darfur rebel group was not part of clashes in the area. http://www.sudantribune.com/Sudan-army-claims-capturing-JEM,39604
Sudan Tribune: Sudan FM denies willingness to accept peacekeepers in South Kordofan 24 July: The Sudanese foreign minister Ali Karti on Saturday denied making statements expressing openness to the idea of deploying peacekeepers to the state of South Kordofan where fighting is ongoing between Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and units of the Sudan People Liberation Army (SPLA) led by Abdel-Aziz al-Hilu. http://www.sudantribune.com/Sudan-FM-denies-willingness-to,39619
North Sudan
Sudan Tribune: Sudanese parliament endorses popular consultation law as SPLM MPs walked out 21 Jul: The Sudanese parliament has approved amendments to the law organizing popular consultations in the Blue Nile and South Kordofan states, extending the deadline of the controversial process by six months. http://www.sudantribune.com/Sudanese-parliament-endorses,39592
Bloomberg: Sudan boosts gold output to make up for lost oil, minister says 20 Jul: Sudan produced 36.8 metric tons of gold this year through May as it expands mining to compensate for revenue lost when oil-rich South Sudan seceded on July 9, Mining Minister Abdel Baqi al-Jailani said today. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-07-20/sudan-boosts-gold-output-to-make-up-for-lost-oil-minister-says.html
VOA: Sudan rejects dual citizenship for South Sudanese 18 Jul: Sudan's ruling party has affirmed the government will not grant dual citizenship to people of South Sudan, after the new country said it will allow dual nationality. http://www.voanews.com/english/news/africa/Sudan-Rejects-Dual-Citizenship-for-South-Sudanese-125743243.html
BBC: Sudan launches a new currency, following South Sudan 24 Jul: Sudan has officially introduced a new currency. The new notes are available in banks and currency exchange points all over Sudan, according to the Central Bank. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14267746
AFP: Police fire tear gas to break up Sudan water demos 23 Jul: Police used tear gas in Khartoum on Friday to break up three separate protests at the lack of running water, witnesses said, two days after a similar demonstration in neighbouring Gezira state. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jZ95Pxdj1dujuN6faucltI6REA9g?docId=CNG.987be94c4c3ccdfdf0d86cb5108c3d3b.fc1
South Sudan
Bloomberg: South Sudan releases its new currency to banks in capital, Juba 18 Jul: Newly independent South Sudan released its own currency today to banks in the capital, Juba, said Aggrey Tisa, undersecretary for planning in the Ministry of Finance. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-07-18/South-sudan-releases-its-new-currency-to-banks-in-capital-juba.html
AFP: South Sudan ships first independent oil cargo 20 Jul: South Sudan has shipped its first independently sold oil cargo from Port Sudan, a former minister said on Tuesday, despite no final agreement with Khartoum on how to manage the country's vital industry. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5ijiMuee_ytGP_3IdsLqRM7lSkmHA?docId=CNG.832a4bd5d343e4861527751b5e0d9c50.501
AFP: South Sudan minister resigns to 'make way' for new generation 21 Jul: South Sudan's minister for peace, Pagan Amum, has resigned to make way for the new generation but will remain secretary general of the ruling party and chief negotiator with the North, his assistant said Wednesday. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hoPhotvR4KnPM2Yv9sLL5TxN-Gow?docId=CNG.d81a9121385076139720a70c94b6e3f2.831
BBC: South Sudan rebel Gatluak Gai killed after peace deal 23 Jul: A key South Sudanese rebel leader, Col Gatluak Gai, who this week signed a peace deal with the government, has been killed. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14261525
North South Relations
Independent: The lie of the land: Mapping the borders of South Sudan has been fraught with difficulty 21 Jul: Six months before South Sudan officially declared its independence, becoming the world's newest nation on 9 July, eight people met in an unremarkable boardroom in Glasgow over tea and biscuits to plot one of this fledgling country's most defining features – its borders. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/the-lie-of-the-land-mapping-the-borders-of-South-sudan-has-been-fraught-with-difficulty-2317701.html
Abyei
South Sudan President asserts Abyei belongs to Dinka Ngok 23 Jul: South Sudan’s Salva Kiir Mayardit on Saturday said that the oil contested region of Abyei belongs to the nine Dinka Ngok chiefdom’s and argued that the North-aligned Misseriya tribe do not have any territorial right in the area except access to water and pasture for their cattle. http://www.sudantribune.com/South-Sudan-President-asserts,39616
Darfur
Darfur clashes ongoing, but appear on decline: UN 23 Jul: Aid efforts in Darfur are still being hampered by clashes but the situation in the western Sudanese region appears to be calming down, UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari told the Security Council Friday. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gZEGfnXJChTyPq8v2oGfwUEcBaIg?docId=CNG.987be94c4c3ccdfdf0d86cb5108c3d3b.a71
Former rebels get Darfur regional authority and a national ministry 23 Jul: The former rebel Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM) has got the chairmanship of Darfur regional authority and a national ministry according to an agreement reached with the Sudanese government. http://www.sudantribune.com/Former-rebels-get-Darfur-regional,39620
