Month: December 2013

  • Reporting the #SouthSudanCrisis: Do journalists (and analysts) have a R2P?

    Since violence broke out last week in South Sudan, I’ve been thinking about the role that information – or lack thereof – plays in stoking violence. I spent most of last week (here, here, and here) trying to parse fact from rumor, watching how some South Sudanese political elites stoked fears with their rhetoric (Salva Kiir,… Read.

  • South Sudanese Tweeps to follow on #SouthSudanCrisis

    Last week, I compiled a list of people on twitter who I was following for information on the #JubaCrisis and #SouthSudanCrisis. Today, Aguil Lual Blunt (@AguilB), a South Sudanese-American fellow tweep, graciously compiled a list of South Sudanese on twitter who were tweeting on events in South Sudan as they unfolded. Local Media Organizations: @GurtongTrust @RadioMiraya @RadioDabanga @RadioTamazuj… Read.

  • NTV Kenya Interview: What’s behind the South Sudan Turmoil?

    Today, I appeared on NTV Kenya with host Larry Madowo and South Sudanese musician and ex-child soldier Lam Tungwar to talk about recent developments in South Sudan – among other things, the incident in which U.S. aircraft sent to evacuate American citizens from the city of Bor in Jonglei State was fired upon by small arms fire. You can watch… Read.

  • PBS News Hour Interview on South Sudan

    Yesterday evening, I appeared on PBS News Hour to talk about the week’s developments in South Sudan, about which I’d been writing here, here, here, here, and here. You can watch the video below: Read.

  • Comments on South Sudan in Think Africa Press & recommended reading

    Today, I gave an interview on BBC News on the situation in South Sudan and was included in Think Africa Press‘ Experts Weekly: South Sudan in Violent Crisis. In addition to my comments on the spat between President Salva Kiir and Riek Machar, comments from other SMEs included: Matthew LeRiche, one of the authors of South Sudan:… Read.

  • Don’t read too much into U.S. evacuating AmCits from South Sudan (w/correction note)

    Correction: After I posted this, a colleague corrected my references below to a Non-Combatant Evacuation Operations (NEO) from South Sudan. Apparently, what happened was not technically classified as a NEO, since ALL personnel depart  in a NEO (as opposed to South Sudan where the Embassy still has essential staff), and it usually has more military involvement.… Read.

  • It’s Wednesday, so naturally Peter Gadet has defected from the SPLA

    As the title of this posts suggests, it’s Wednesday (click here for a laugh), so naturally Peter Gadet has defected from the SPLA. I continue to reiterate here and here that there’s a lot we still don’t know about what’s going on in South Sudan and former VP Riek Machar is still on the run.… Read.

  • Day Two of #JubaCrisis: Still Many “Known Unknowns”

    As I wrote yesterday, something is going down in South Sudan. Here’s a few updates: Former VP Riek Machar is still missing. (My #WhereIsRiek hashtag still needs some love). His home has been raided and much of the property destroyed. In his press conference yesterday, President Salva Kiir referred to Riek as a “Prophet of… Read.

  • *Something* is going down in South Sudan, but it’s unclear what

    Since yesterday around 6:30pm (local time), a series of events have been unfolding in Juba, South Sudan that are being characterized as either a mutiny of certain elements of the SPLA or a coup attempt. It’s still unclear what exactly is going on, and the news media has not been the best source of breaking… Read.

Official White House Photo by Polly Irungu