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

News in detail

Abyei

AFP: Four UN peacekeepers killed by mine in Abyei 02 Aug: A landmine on Tuesday killed four Ethiopian UN peacekeepers and badly wounded seven others on patrol in the disputed Sudanese territory of Abyei, the UN said, just days after they were deployed. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gXEpfWH9K5aATu1-chqEbgSGSFPw?docId=CNG.94252455dbfeae20a34e42556bbc9473.641

AFP: Sudan threatened chopper heading for dying troops: UN 04 Aug: Sudanese troops threatened to shoot a UN helicopter trying to evacuate Ethiopian peacekeepers fatally wounded in a landmine explosion in the disputed Abyei region, UN officials said Thursday. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i86rTMr4c_VdMc2RG_DsX8Ae-P9A?docId=CNG.5f80ff8625941411ce1885236f8890c0.b41

Darfur

AFP: Sudan threatens to terminate Darfur peacekeeping mission 03 Aug: Sudan's foreign minister said on Tuesday that any attempt to "impose new commitments" on the UN peacekeeping force in Darfur, under its new mandate, would force the government to terminate the mission. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jdbFP5BBvB45ir-DghXVeDylsZTw?docId=CNG.d86667b61f504f649364d2259023383c.6c1

AP: UN peacekeeper killed in Darfur attack 06 Aug: A UN peacekeeper from Sierra Leone was killed and another seriously wounded when their vehicle was attacked by gunmen in the Darfur region of Sudan on Friday, the United Nations said. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i1VV2pMsuIYI4lXHd-vDOqQpKV3A?docId=f9502f28714b4197af127ac172c57c78

South Sudan

BBC: South Sudan's SSLA Unity State rebels 'cease fire' 03 Aug: The biggest rebel movement in the newly independent South Sudan has declared a ceasefire, its spokesman says. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14392330

AFP: South Sudan rebels declare ceasefire: spokesman 03 Aug: A South Sudan rebel group led by renegade general Peter Gadet has agreed to an unconditional ceasefire and is committed to talks on merging its troops with the army, its spokesman said on Wednesday. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jPsCOwqcdcy8hTUrKJ8FLv8_oKmg?docId=CNG.05badf1c5a4779a5fba2bf67b2a83976.511

AFP: South Sudan splinter rebel faction disowns peace deal 04 Aug: A group of South Sudanese rebels formerly linked to militia leader Peter Gadet, who agreed to a ceasefire this week, accused him on Thursday of taking government bribes and rejected the peace deal. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hev_qBPrxjyPxopICDDTPgklUJCQ?docId=CNG.5f80ff8625941411ce1885236f8890c0.701

Sudan Tribune: South Sudan parliament’s first sitting fails over internal power wrangling 04 Aug: The transformed national legislative assembly of the newly born Republic of South Sudan has failed to conduct its first sitting as senior lawmakers wrangle over who is to lead the new national house after the integration of MPs coming from Khartoum. http://www.sudantribune.com/South-Sudan-parliament-s-first,39745

North-South Relations

Reuters: North Sudan says holds southern oil shipment 05 Aug: North Sudan said on Friday it is holding an oil shipment from South Sudan because the new African state has failed to pay custom duties. http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL6E7J51FK20110805?sp=true

Reuters: South Sudan says Khartoum released blocked oil cargo 06 Aug: North Sudan has released a 600,000 barrel oil shipment of landlocked South Sudan held over failed customs duties, a southern official said on Saturday as both sides argue over dividing oil revenues. http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/06/sudan-oil-idUSL6E7J605P20110806

AFP: South Sudan says oil cargo released but talks stalled 07 Aug: South Sudan's oil minister said on Saturday that an oil cargo detained by northern officials in Port Sudan in a row over duty payments had now sailed, but that negotiations over transit fees were stalled. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5j9vtA6AHOPJyWPkWfDRrMOMWMY9A?docId=CNG.fe9e326fe1166ede471ced5c58baa423.201

South Kordofan

AFP: Sudan bishop seeks US satellite to find mass graves 04 Aug: A Sudanese bishop Wednesday called on US lawmakers to deploy satellites over war-torn Southern Kordofan to help locate mass graves to ensure evidence of killings does not disappear. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5g8ilM20IJ-f2QRVfSFRbOnZl54hA?docId=CNG.5f80ff8625941411ce1885236f8890c0.8b1

AFP: US lawmaker seeks peacekeepers on Sudan 'genocide' 07 Aug: A senior US lawmaker urged the immediate deployment of peacekeepers to Sudan's war-torn border region of Southern Kordofan, warning of a risk of "genocide" by government forces. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gs4RpXrEzT8hs0sbOoDWlIBoWAiQ?docId=CNG.51218efcd99809188fe255a9602fa847.01

Sudan Tribune: Ex-South Kordofan governor appeals for end of war 07 Aug: A former governor of Sudan’s southern state of South Kordofoan has launched an initiative to stop the ongoing war there between the country’s army and rebels of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) led by Abdul Aziz Adam Al-Hilu. http://www.sudantribune.com/Ex-South-Kordofan-governor-appeals,39774

Blue Nile

Sudan’s Blue Nile governor scraps meeting with Bashir 03 Aug: A planned meeting between the Sudanese president Omer Hassan al-Bashir and Blue Nile state governor Malik Agar on Wednesday has been cancelled. http://www.sudantribune.com/Sudan-s-Blue-Nile-governor-scraps,39731

North Sudan

BBC: Chinese foreign minister Yang Jiechi visits Sudan 07 Aug: China's foreign minister has arrived in Sudan, the first high-level visit by Khartoum's key ally since South Sudan became independent in July. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14439119