A look back over key stories from South Sudan in 2016:
South Sudan’s parties divide up ministries for power-sharing government (Radio Tamazuj, 7 Jan. 2016)- South Sudan’s government, rebels, former detainees, and other political parties have divided up the ministries for the country’s proposed transitional power-sharing government, the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC) announced.
UN panel names Kiir, Malong, Machar and Akol Kur for directing violence (Radio Tamazuj, 26 Jan. 2016) – A panel of investigators for South Sudan has asked the UN Security Council to blacklist “high-level decision makers responsible for the actions and policies that threaten the peace, security and stability of the country.”
Kiir appoints 50 rebel-nominated members to parliament (Radio Tamazuj, 8 Jan. 2016) – South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir appointed fifty people nominated by the SPLM-In Opposition to the transitional national legislative assembly.
Full speech of Salva Kiir after swearing-in of Machar as South Sudan’s First Vice President (Radio Tamazuj, 26 April 2016)- SPLM-IO leader Riek Machar was sworn in as First Vice President of South Sudan at the presidential palace known as J1 in Juba, where he was welcomed as a “brother” by President Salva Kiir.
Kiir dissolves cabinet, names ministers of Transitional Government (Radio Tamazuj, 28 April 2016) – South Sudan President Salva Kiir dissolved his cabinet and appointed ministers of the unity government to thirty ministries which are split between SPLM, SPLM-IO, SPLM-G10 Former Detainees group, and other political parties.
South Sudan fighting: Gunfire erupts again in Juba (Al Jazeera, 10 Jul. 2016) – Gun battles reported near army barracks and UN base as intense fighting resumes after weekend clashes killed over 100.
War in South Sudan’s Juba resumes (Radio Tamazuj, 10 Jul. 2016)- Fighting resumed again this morning, between the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in the Government (SPLA-IG) led by President Kiir and Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO), in Juba’s Hai Jebel, where First Vice President, Riek Machar takes residence.
Monitors call for ‘return to peace process’ (Tamazuj, 12 Jul. 2016) – The Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission has called on the two partners to the ‘unity’ government in Juba who fought over the last four days to “show the political will and commitment to return to the implementation of the peace agreement.”
UN confirms Machar’s troops driven out of Jebel bases (Radio Tamazuj, 13 Jul. 2016) – United Nations peacekeepers have reported that opposition troops that came to Juba under the terms of a peace deal have abandoned their bases at the foot of Jebel mountain on the west side of Juba following government attacks on the opposition bases.
South Sudan army says it will fight regional security force if it enters country (Radio Tamazuj, 21 Jul.206) – The South Sudanese army will fight foreign troops that attempt to enter South Sudan, according to the SPLA spokesperson.
Kiir fires Machar, appoints Taban Deng as new FVP (Radio Tamazuj, 25 Jul. 2016) – President Salva Kiir replaced Riek Machar with Taban Deng as the First Vice President of South Sudan following clashes in the capital Juba.
Taban Deng Gai sworn in as South Sudan FVP (Tamazuj, 27 Jul., 2016) – South Sudan’s new First Vice President Taban Deng Gai was sworn in during an official ceremony in Juba on Tuesday. Taban Deng Gai, who had served as minister of mining and former chief negotiator of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO), attended the ceremony together with President Salva Kiir.
Lam Akol resigns from South Sudan govt, says peace deal is over (Radio Tamazuj, 1 Aug.)- Dr Lam Akol Ajawin, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security in the South Sudanese cabinet, has resigned his position saying that “there is no more peace agreement to implement in Juba.”
UN votes to send regional force into South Sudan over government objections (Radio Tamazuj, 12 Aug. 2016) – Diplomats at the United Nations have agreed to send 4,000 regional peacekeepers into South Sudan.
Pagan Amum calls for inclusive national dialogue in South Sudan (Radio Tamazuj, 24 Aug. 2016)- South Sudan opposition groups and the current government in Juba should convene a round table conference for national dialogue to discuss the country’s political future, a leader of the non-armed opposition faction said.
21 travellers killed on Yei-Juba road (Radio Tamazuj, 9 Oct. 2016) – At least 21 people including women and children were killed and 20 others injured in an ambush on the Juba-Yei road on Saturday, according a spokesperson for the SPLA army.
Fighting in Wau; Red Cross calls for civilians to be spared (Radio Tamazuj, 24 Jun. 2016) – Fighting erupted in Wau town following sporadic violence over the past two days as well as more organized efforts at forced displacement that began last night.
UN team arrives in Juba to investigate Terrain attack (Radio Tamazuj, 9 Sep. 2016) – A team of investigators appointed by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon have arrived in Juba to look into the the Terrain Hotel attack and the UN peacekeepers’ failure to respond to it, besides other incidents of sexual violence in Juba in July.
Lam Akol forms rebel movement to fight South Sudan government (Radio Tamazuj, 26 Sep. 2016)- South Sudan’s former minister of agriculture Lam Akol has announced a new faction called the National Democratic Movement to overthrow the government of President Salva Kiir.
UN panel blames Kiir and Malong for Juba violence (Radio Tamazuj, 9 Sep. 2016)- A UN panel of experts has concluded that heavy fighting that engulfed South Sudan’s capital Juba in July, forcing vice president and ex-rebel leader Riek Machar to flee, was “directed by the highest level” of the country’s military.
SPLA deputy chief of staff reveals failed plot to kill Taban Deng (Tamazuj, 10 Oct. 2016)- A top South Sudanese general who unexpectedly announced his resignation today has revealed that government officials earlier this year discussed plans to attack the SPLM-IO Advance Team in Juba headed by Taban Deng, who has since become vice president.
PoC Juba residents deny having weapons amid incitement fears (Radio Tamazuj, 14 Oct. 2016)-Community leaders in the UN protection camps in Juba strongly deny that they have any weapons and insist that they are just “normal civilians” after the South Sudanese army today claimed that some camp residents are keeping weapons and threatened to deploy forces around the camps.
Kiir defends ethnic recruitment for army (19 Oct. 2016)- South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir today threatened government leaders belonging to Equatorian ethnicities while also acknowledging and defending a trend of military recruitment predominantly among his own ethnic Dinka.
Riek Machar: peace process must be revived (Radio Tamazuj, 21 Oct. 2016)- South Sudan’s former first vice President and rebel leader Riek Machar says a political initiative is desperately needed to revive last August’s peace deal, saying the signed peace accord collapsed following July fighting in the nation’s capital Juba.
UN fires South Sudan force commander after damning internal report (Radio Tamazuj 1 Nov. 2016)- U.N. Chief Ban Ki Moon asked for the removal of South Sudan’s peacekeeping commander on Tuesday after a damning internal report was released that details how blue helmets failed to protect civilians during clashes between government and opposition forces in July.
Kenya hands over Machar’s spokesman to Kiir (Tamazuj, 4 Nov. 2016)- The Government of Kenya deported and handed over SPLM-IO Chairman Riek Machar’s personal spokesman to his rival President Salva Kiir, according to Kiir’s spokesman in Juba.
Security Council arrives in South Sudan for negotiations (Tamazuj, 2 Sep. 2016)- Members of the United Nations Security Council landed at the Juba International Airport on Friday, the beginning of a four day trip to the country.
4 takeaways from the Sentry report on corruption in South Sudan (Tamazuj, 13 Sep. 2016) – South Sudan’s leaders have made a profit while the country suffers in a continuous cycle of civil war, according to an activist organization based in the United States.
President Kiir calls for calm, forgiveness among South Sudanese (Radio Tamazuj, 12 Oct. 2016) – South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit has called for calm and a spirit of forgiveness. Kiir also made a public appearance in the streets of Juba town this afternoon to refute rumours of his death.
South Sudan troops accused of second massacre in Central Equatoria (Radio Tamazuj- 12 Nov. 2016) – Government troops carried out a massacre of at least 11 villagers in Central Equatoria State within a week of an earlier killing of 10 civilians in the same state, according to a survivor and a relative of one of the victims.
Riek Machar denied entry to Sudan at airport (20 Nov. 2016)- South Sudan’s former first vice president and prominent opposition leader Riek Machar was refused entry into Sudan at Khartoum International Airport without clear reasons on Sunday afternoon, a military spokesman for the armed opposition group said.
US-based think-tank calls for establishing international administration in South Sudan ( Radio Tamazuj, 28 Nov. 016)- An American think-tank has published a report calling for an international transitional administration established by the United Nations and the African Union to be placed over South Sudan.
President Kiir calls for ‘national dialogue’ to end conflict (Radio Tamazuj, 15 Dec. 2016) – South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has called for a “national dialogue” to discuss issues related to the structure of the country, renegotiate social contract, and revitalize aspirations for development.
Ban Ki-moon warns of imminent genocide in South Sudan ( Radio Tamazuj, 21 Dec. 2016) – The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Monday said that genocide was about to start in South Sudan unless immediate action is taken, reiterating his call for the Security Council to impose an arms embargo.
UN Security Council fails to impose arms embargo on South Sudan (Radio Tamazuj, 23 Dec. 2016)-The UN Security Council failed Friday to adopt a US-drafted resolution to impose an arms embargo and sanctions on South Sudan despite warnings that the world’s newest country is on the verge of possible genocide.