Sudan: South Sudan's Deep Divisions Surface TR May14

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

• Historical ethnic tensions, hidden during the fight for secession from Sudan, surfaced with independence.
• These ethnic tensions were flamed into combat by President Salva Kiir’s sacking of his cabinet and his vice president, Riek Machar.
• Kiir, an ethnic Dinka, and Machar, an ethnic Nuer, represent the largest two ethnic groups in South Sudan.
• An ethnically inspired clash between Dinka and Nuer soldiers was the flashpoint for ethnic violence that began in the capital city of Juba, but quickly gained ground all across South Sudan.
• Juba was quickly brought under control by SPLA soldiers loyal to Kiir.
• Machar loyalists and others driven by ethnic hatred quickly moved the major fight to the oil-rich cities of Bor, Bentiu, and Malakal, with ethnic violence unleashed over most of South Sudan.
• Within days, the ethnic violence overwhelmed humanitarian resources, logistics, and camp capacities.
• A ceasefire signed on 24 January 2014 did not prevent violations on both sides, providing little hope that the violence will stop.