
South Sudan tensions: US orders non-emergency staff to leave
The United States has ordered all its non-emergency staff in South Sudan to leave, amid rising tensions in the country.Fighting in recent days has threatened an already fragile peace deal between President Salva Kiir and Vice-President Riek Machar.The two leaders signed a peace agreement in 2018 to end a five-year civil war that killed hundreds of thousands of people, but their relationship has remained fraught.On Sunday, the US State Department said that fighting was ongoing in South Sudan between various political and ethnic groups and that "weapons are readily available to the population".
"Due to the risks in the country, on March 08, 2025, the Department of State ordered the departure of non-emergency US government employees," it said.The UN human rights commission for South Sudan on Saturday warned of an "alarming regression" that threatened to undo years of progress towards peace.President Kiir has called for calm and made an assurance that the country would not return to war.In an escalation of the tensions, a UN helicopter that had been evacuating members of the national army was shot at on Friday, killing several people, including one crew member.Earlier in the week, the deputy chief of the army and two ministers allied to Machar were arrested by security forces, which an opposition spokesman termed a "grave violation" of the peace deal.The arrests of the Machar-allied officials followed clashes in the country's Upper Nile state between government forces and a militia known as the White Army, which had fought alongside Machar during the civil war.South Sudan, the world's newest nation, gained independence in 2011 after seceding from Sudan.But just two years later, following a rift between Kiir and Machar, the country descended into a civil war, in which more than 400,000 people were killed.The 2018 power-sharing agreement between the two stopped the fighting, but key elements of the deal have not been implemented – including a new constitution, an election, and the reunification of armed groups into a single army.Sporadic violence between ethnic or local groups has continued in parts of the country.
You may also be interested in:
General's arrest violates South Sudan peace deal, opposition saysMystery in South Sudan after sacked spy boss mired in gun battleCurfew and deaths in South Sudan after revenge attacks on SudaneseSalva Kiir: South Sudan's president in a cowboy hat
Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Spectator
2 hours ago
- Spectator
Greta Thunberg should thank Israel for intercepting her Gaza selfie ship
Once again, the Mediterranean has hosted a familiar theatre of self-satisfied spectacle. This time, however, the curtain has come down swiftly. The latest vessel to set sail in defiance of Israel's naval blockade of Gaza – the Madleen, a boat bloated with virtue signalling and the vanity of performative compassion – has been intercepted by the Israeli Navy. The operation was executed peacefully and without casualties by fighters from Fleet 13, Israel's naval commando forces. The ship is now making its way safely to the port of Ashdod, its dozen passengers – including Greta Thunberg, the climate whinger turned omni-cause moral voice – healthy, unharmed, and provided with sandwiches (individually wrapped in plastic, sorry Greta) and water. The Israeli Foreign Ministry left no doubt about the farcical nature of this voyage: 'There are ways to provide aid to the Gaza Strip – they don't involve Instagram selfies.


The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Australian government to declare almost a third of its oceans ‘highly protected' in the next five years
The Australian government plans to declare 30% of its ocean 'highly protected' by 2030, raising expectations from conservationists it will ban fishing and drilling in nearly a third of the country's waters. The environment minister, Murray Watt, told the UN Ocean Conference in France a review of 44 of Australia's marine parks would 'lay the foundation' to increase the area of the country's ocean with higher levels of protection. Some 52% of Australia's ocean area has previously been declared marine park since the late 1990s, giving different levels of protection to wildlife and habitats, but only 24% has levels of protection that keep out all forms of fishing and extraction. 'It's clear that Australia can achieve 30% of our marine protected area estate in highly protected areas by 2030 and a three-year review of our remaining 44 marine marks will lay the foundation for this,' Watt said. The term 'highly protected' means all extractive activities are banned – which can include fishing, drilling and mining. Conservationists welcomed the commitment, but said the ocean was also under assault from global heating and Australia needed to set more ambitious goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions for 2035, beyond the current 2030 goal of a 43% cut, based on 2005 levels, by 2030. Watt told a reception at the conference that Australia protected 'more ocean than any other country on Earth' and 1.3m sq km of highly protected areas had been added in the past three years – an area almost the size of the Northern Territory. Sign up to get climate and environment editor Adam Morton's Clear Air column as a free newsletter 'A healthy ocean is critical to Australia's environment, economy and wellbeing,' Watt said. 'Australia may be a large country, but our ocean territory is bigger than our land mass and is central to our national identity.' Watt also confirmed the government would introduce legislation before the end of the year to allow the ratification of a high seas biodiversity treaty, which the country signed in September 2023 but had not yet ratified. Christabel Mitchell, the oceans director at Pew Charitable Trusts, said: 'Fully protected marine sanctuaries are the heart of a healthy ocean. They are critical breeding and feeding grounds for the fish, seals, whales, turtles and other marine life which go on to populate our oceans. 'Australia has some of the most diverse and magnificent oceans on the planet and it's our privilege and responsibility to protect them.' As reported in the Guardian, swathes of corals on reefs across vast areas of Western Australian coastline have died in recent months after an unprecedented marine heatwave scientists said was fuelled by global heating. Adele Pedder, a campaigner for marine protected areas at the Australian Marine Conservation Society, said some of Australia's most critical areas were still under-protected, but 'increased protection needed to be matched by increased ambition on climate change'. Sign up to Clear Air Australia Adam Morton brings you incisive analysis about the politics and impact of the climate crisis after newsletter promotion Pedder said 'highly protected' marine areas excluded all fishing and extractive activities, such as drilling. She said: 'Science has shown us that these fully protected areas give resilience to ecosystems so they have a fighting chance in the face of climate change.' Recent approvals of fossil fuel projects showed the weakness in the country's environment laws 'that the government absolutely needs to address', she said. The Albanese government has promised to set an emissions reduction target for 2035 ahead of this November's UN climate talks in Brazil. Richard Leck, the head of oceans at WWF Australia, said that target needed to be in line with keep global heating to 1.5C – a 'critical threshold' for coral reefs. Australia's commitment to increasing marine sanctuaries and ratifying the high seas treaty was a 'significant step forward', he said. A new documentary from David Attenborough, called Ocean, has also called on the UN Ocean Conference to ratify the high seas treaty and push for the goal to have 30% of the planet's oceans highly protected in areas known as marine sanctuaries. 'Australia has just committed to both the actions called for by Sir David Attenborough,' Leck said. 'Ocean ecosystems are incredibly resilient when you reduce the threats that they face. We see this time and time again. Marine sanctuaries aren't just for biodiversity. They're an insurance policy for the fishing industry as well.'

The National
6 hours ago
- The National
The whole world is watching the Madleen's journey to Gaza on social media
But it's now 2025, and the whole world is watching as the Madleen continues on its way to Gaza – and while it is barely on the running lists of broadcasters, it is flooding the social media pages of millions of people on Instagram, TikTok and X. The 12 people on board the vessel, members of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, are hoping to deliver much-needed aid and break Israel's humanitarian blockade on Gaza. But Israel is trying to stop them. Just this afternoon, Israel's defence minister Israel Katz said he had ordered the military to intercept the vessel before it can reach Gaza. With less than 24 hours to go until the ship is expected to reach its destination, it has never been more important for the international community to bear witness. And thanks to social media, the efforts of the group – and Israel's efforts to prevent them – cannot be ignored. READ MORE: LIVE: Latest updates as Freedom Flotilla nears Gaza Take the presence of climate activist Greta Thunberg, using her fame to the crew's advantage and hoping to keep the eyes of the Western media, who are usually keen to criticise her every move, on the ship to guarantee it's safety. And, we are seeing the journey of the Madleen in real time. The ship's tracker is available online and can pinpoint exactly where it is at any given moment. This is vital in ensuring accountability for any attacks or attempts to intercept the vessel. At least, we could see the tracker until earlier today, when it lost signal for around an hour and displayed the ship's coordinates as being in Jordan. The group later said that the issue was due to 'signal jamming', and they set up a new tracker which is currently working as it should. The group remain on course, undeterred, even though an attack may be imminent. As the Freedom Flotilla Coalition said: 'The tracker is not simply a navigation tool; it is a form of protection'. The Madleen's journey is visible to all, making it harder for any interceptions to go ignored or unchallenged. The 12 individuals on board – which also includes French-Palestinian MEP Rima Hassan – have also utilised social media to ensure that their journey is broadcast to the entire world. READ MORE: Freedom Flotilla urges UK Government to 'protect' ship from Israel as it nears Gaza When drones began to hover above the ship, we knew about it. When the ship had to divert its course to a mayday call, we could track its movements as it happened. Constant updates, tweets and livestreams are shared on social media, ensuring that everything can be recorded and remembered. One short clip shows an activist walking across the deck of the ship, a Palestinian flag waving in the wind, a bright blue sea in front of her. It's activism in a social media age. Using the tactics of influencers who are usually trying to sell sponsored products to their masses of followers, but to shine light on a genocide and their brave attempt to break the Gaza siege. By broadcasting the intimidation the Madleen is experiencing, the crew is not seeking to undermine the brutal bombardment, starvation and displacement Palestinians are experiencing at the hands of Israel. As Thunberg shared recently on her own social media: "Keep all eyes on deck but above all, all eyes on Palestine and all oppressed people." The Madleen's journey so far demonstrates the aggression humanitarian organisations face when trying to deliver aid in Gaza. When Israel has banned foreign press from entering the enclave, and it continues to bomb the few Palestinian journalists who remain, this is an important insight that ensures accountability and transparency. We are witnessing a crucial moment in Israel's assault on Gaza – one that could have huge international implications if the Madleen is subject to attack. The next 24 hours will decide everything. And no matter what happens, we will be watching. More likely than not, it will be through our phones and devices.