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

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and South Sudanese President Salva Kiir are due to meet in the South Sudanese capital, Juba, next week. They will formally agree to the recent agreements on citizenship rights and border demarcation, and discuss other outstanding issues. South Sudan says it will not arrest President al-Bashir during the visit. President al-Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes.

The African Union has announced the establishment of a 5,000-strong force to hunt Lord's Resistance Army Leader, Joseph Kony.

The South Sudanese army has clashed with militia from the Lou Nuer ethnic group. The militia are resisting a disarmament programme aimed at stopping a cycle of retaliatory violence between the Lou Nuer and the Murle in Jonglei state.

News in detail

Sudan and South Sudan relations

Wall Street Journal: Sudan, South Sudan Trade Accusations Ahead of Oil Talks 21 Mar: South Sudan and Sudan on Wednesday accused each other of cross-border attacks in the latest escalation of rhetoric ahead of a summit called to resolve the oil transit issue between the formerly united countries. Read more

AFP: Ailing South Sudanese fly home before deadline 21 Mar: Elderly and disabled South Sudanese in Sudan flew to their newly independent homeland on Wednesday in the last major movement of southerners before an April 8 deadline, the IOM said. Read more

Reuters: South Sudan hopes to end oil row within "a month or two" 24 Mar: South Sudan hopes to resolve a row over oil and other outstanding issues with Sudan within a month or two, South Sudan's top negotiator said on Saturday, pointing to an easing of tensions between the two old civil war foes. Read more

AFP: South Sudan says will not arrest Bashir during visit 24 Mar: South Sudan said on Saturday it will not arrest Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir, wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes, during an upcoming visit to the newly independent nation. Read more

Sudan

AFP: Sudan's Bashir to attend Arab summit in Baghdad 25 Mar: Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes, will attend this week's Arab summit in Baghdad, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani's office said. Read more

LRA

Washington Post: African Union force to step up hunt for LRA leader Kony; recent movie attention ‘very useful’ 23 Mar: The African Union said on Friday it will send 5,000 soldiers to join the hunt for war criminal Joseph Kony, a new mission that comes amid a wildly popular Internet campaign targeting the leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army. Read more

Darfur

Reuters: Sudan court sentences six Darfur rebels to death 20 Mar: A Sudanese court sentenced to death six members of a major Darfur rebel group on Tuesday, including a top commander, the group's lawyer said. Read more

South Sudan

Reuters: South Sudan to build up postal service with Kenya, Ethiopia 22 Mar: South Sudan is about to sign contracts with Kenya Airlines and Ethiopian Airlines to use their international network to deliver mail and so ending their reliance on former civil war foe Sudan, a government official said. Read more

Sudan Tribune: South Sudan army clashes with Lou-Nuer armed youth in Jonglei state 23 Mar: The South Sudanese army has reportedly clashed with some armed youth of Lou-Nuer in Jonglei state resisting a disarmament process the government launched after a series of retaliatory attacks in December. Read more