South Sudan politics: Machar mulls his moves
6th August 2013 The Economist SPEAKING from his government house in the centre of South Sudan’s capital, Juba, Riek Machar knows that it will not be his home for much longer. The man who had been the country’s vice-president since its secession from Sudan two years ago was unceremoniously sacked, along with the entire cabinet, [...]
State Builders: the making of South Sudan
On 31 May, the Frontline Club hosted a screening of State Builders, a unique film documenting the immense challenges faced by the new state of South Sudan, which became the world’s newest nation on 9 July 2011. Directed by Florence Martin-Kessler and Anne Poiret, the film gives a penetrating insight into what was happening behind [...]
Sudan-South Sudan oil deal has its limits
17th April 2013 Foreign Policy – The Middle East Channel Sudan and South Sudan reached a deal in the early hours of March 12, after a week of negotiations in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa, which should spark the beginning of exports of South Sudanese oil from Sudan’s Port Sudan, on the Red Sea coast, for [...]
Power and poverty in South Sudan
14th March 2013 From Our Own Correspondent – BBC Radio 4 My piece on the impact of austerity in South Sudan, where a lack of oil resources left many struggling to provide food and power for their families: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01r5qc7 And the World Service version: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p015gwbb
Violence in DR Congo could abate if international community takes decisive action
15 February 2013 Frontline Club More than 5m people have died in fighting in the Democratic Republic of the Congo since 1998. But now there may be a window of opportunity for the international community to take action. The coming year could be a window of opportunity for the international community to tackle the violence [...]
The joys of Juba airport
Juba, South Sudan Arriving at Juba international airport, the gateway to the world’s newest nation, is never a pleasant experience. There is little that can prepare you for the chaos of the small, cramped space that serves as the arrivals hall, baggage collection, customs and immigration. All you can do is stay calm, take a [...]
Groundbreaking South Sudan report published
15th December 2012 After several months of research and many more weeks of writing and editing, my business intelligence report into investment opportunities in South Sudan is now in print. A comprehensive guide to investing in South Sudan, the 125-page report includes full details of the country’s legal and regulatory framework and project opportunities across [...]
South Sudan plans to resume oil production in September
Sudan intransigence on border issue could affect vital oil deal between Sudan and South Sudan South Sudan is planning to resume oil production in September, after a transit deal was reached with Sudan in early August, according to Pagan Amum, the country’s lead negotiator with Sudan at the African Union. It shut down exports of [...]
Cereal price rises threaten civil unrest
The Middle East must ensure food supply amid spiking global prices or risk potential civil unrest The current drought-induced surge in global food prices is causing disquiet in the Middle East and North Africa. Memories do not need to be very long to recall that when protesters took to the streets of cities across the [...]
Basketball inspires wounded
BBC – 9 August 2012 Thousands of miles from the elite athletes gathered at the Olympic and Paralympic Games in London, some young men are playing basketball on a court in South Sudan. But their wheelchairs are a reminder of the country’s painful past. In the Nimra Talata area, one Friday afternoon, a crowd of [...]
South Sudan draw first football international
Juba, 11th July South Sudan’s first FIFA-recognised international football match ended in a 2-2 draw with Uganda last night, a day after the fledgling country celebrated the first anniversary of its independence. Such was the excitement about the game that an hour before kickoff I could already hear the cheers from my house in Hai [...]
Six months after South Sudan gained independence, the same challenges remain
On 9th January, South Sudan will celebrate six months of independence form the north. But the problems faced by the new country are still mounting In early 2011 I devoted two months to covering the referendum on the independence of South Sudan from the north and the government’s efforts to set up the apparatus for [...]
Old tensions fail to disappear in Sudan
As Sudan splits, the issues that caused the bloody civil war will not be easily consigned to history If anybody thought that the success of the January referendum on the secession of South Sudan from the north meant that the hard work was over, recent events will have forced them to reassess. The backdrop to [...]
Sudan prepares for split
Co-operation between the North and the South will be key to economic development. But disputes over oil resources and debt will hamper progress Forty years of civil war in the past half century have meant Sudan has rarely enjoyed the political stability that is vital for economic development. The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), signed in [...]
The scramble for the South
A spate of secret and exploitative land deals may cause instability and more economic hardship in the new state Almost 10% of the land in South Sudan, due to win its formal independence on 9 July, has been sold or leased to foreign and local companies, according to a new report. Foreign investors have signed [...]
South Sudan referendum
Millions of South Sudanese voted in an independence referendum, which could cut Africa’s biggest country in two MEED – 28 January 2011 In John Garang memorial park in the South Sudanese capital of Juba, the mood is one of celebration. A group of drummers beat out a rhythm on tall African drums, while locals dance [...]