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Showing posts from August, 2025

SPLA-IO Accused of Detaining Civilian Boats, Demanding $4,000 Along Sobat River ‎

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‎ Boat ferrying civilians  Nasir, Upper Nile State  ‎Authorities in Nasir County, Upper Nile State, have accused forces loyal to the Sudan People’s Liberation Army In Opposition (SPLA-IO) of detaining civilian riverboats and demanding ransom-like payments of up to $4,000 from traders and passengers along the Sobat River. ‎ ‎According to Nasir County Commissioner James Gatwech Joak, several boats traveling from Matar in Nasir County to Malakal were intercepted by SPLA-IO soldiers in Yakuach, an area in Nyirol County, Jonglei State. ‎ ‎“Our traders paid local taxes to SPLA-IO in Mandeng before setting off. But on reaching Yakuach, they were detained again and told to pay an additional four thousand U.S. dollars,” Commissioner Gatwech said. ‎ ‎He explained that the detained boat operators and traders were reportedly held for four days while armed men demanded more payments.  ‎ Some of the passengers were women, children, and patients traveling for medical treatment in Malaka...

From Safe Haven to Hunger Trap: Kakuma Refugees Flee Back to South Sudan

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‎Key Points: Kakuma Refugee Hunger Crisis ‎ ‎1. Mass Exodus: Thousands of South Sudanese refugees are leaving Kakuma Camp, trekking back home due to hunger. ‎ ‎2. Severe Food Cuts: Rations slashed; many families get little or no food. ‎ ‎3. Not a Choice: “We are not walking out of choice. Hunger is killing us here,” said one refugee. ‎ ‎4. Dangerous Return: Refugees risk insecurity, hunger, and floods in South Sudan. ‎ ‎5. Aid Funding Gap: U.S. Trump-era cuts + global donor fatigue worsened the crisis. ‎ ‎6. Host Communities Struggling: Poverty in Turkana, Kenya, adds pressure on locals and refugees alike. ‎ ‎7. Protection Crisis: Refugees face an impossible choice starvation in exile or insecurity back home. ‎ ‎South Sudanese Refugees Flee Kakuma Refugee Camp as Hunger Crisis Deepened as mass exodus is unfolding at Kakuma Refugee Camp in northwestern Kenya. For years, this dusty settlement in Turkana West County has been a place of refuge for South Sudanese fleeing war, famine, and pe...