June 27, 2011 (JUBA) - An impromptu operation conducted by South Sudan’s Security Committee; a body recently established to oversee the pre-independence security preparations, saw over 780 assorted weapons recovered on Saturday said South Sudan’s Inspector General of Police (IGP).

JPEG - 30.9 kb Anti-aircraft guns recovered during the security operation in Juba, June 25, 2011 (ST)

The operation, which began in the early hours of Saturday morning, continued until mid-day, mainly involved the thorough inspection of vehicles and their occupants house-by-house sweeps.

June 26, 2011 (JUBA) – Authorities in Lakes state have graduated 425 ex-combatants who completed either small business or vocational training graduated in Rumbek on Friday. The training was organised by the German International Cooperation Services (GIZ IS), contracted by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

Jok Ayom Majak, Lakes State Minister of Rural Development, was the guest of honour at the third graduation ceremony of ex-combatants in Lakes State under the GIZ IS Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration project.

June 24, 2011 (BOR) - Hundreds of people have been killed and a large number of cattle stolen in Pibor county in South Sudan’s largest state of Jonglei following clashes between the Murle and Lou Nuer ethnic groups the county’s commissioner says.

The vast and swampy territory of Jonglei is shared by the several ethnic groups mainly Bor Dinka, the Lou Nuer, and Murle who clashed during the past over cattle , water and pasturage. The long years of war in the south also affected these tribal groups and they supported different parties.

June 21, 2011 (JUBA) - Eight people died and a further eight were injured when Rumbek Central County in Lakes State was attacked in the early hours of Monday the local commissioner has said.

Commisioner Matur Majok Magol, said that his county came under surprise attack by pastoralists youth loyal to neighbouring Cueibet County. The attack is the latest revenge attack to hit Lakes State, which is blighted by retributive attacks related to cattle raiding and robbery between rival groups.

By Bonifacio Taban Kuich

June 17, 2011 (BENTIU) - The bombardment of northern Unity State in South Sudan by North Sudan’s military has displaced over 2,000 civilians according to local officials just three weeks before the South separates from the North.

Around 152 of those displaced from Jaw district on the ill-defined North-South border, had recently been forced to leave their homes in the Nuba Mountains of South Kordofan due to fighting between the northern army and armed groups who were aligned to South Sudan during the civil war.

June 14, 2011 (BOR) - At least 6 people were reported dead, four children injured and one child abducted on Monday 13 June in a night attack on Thuman village in Mathiang buma [district] in the north of Jonglei states Bor County.

Malueth Bior, whose home was attacked, said he saw five gunmen after he was alerted by his eight guard dogs just after he had returned from seeing his cows a few metres from the residential area.

June 13, 2011 (TURALEI) - Authorities state hosting the majority of the internally displaced persons (IDP) from the conflict-ridden region of Abyei on Monday expressed fears of the spread of contagious diseases.

Clashes between Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) controlled by government in Khartoum and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) component of the Joint Integrated Units (JIU) and local police in the area have displaced what the Government of South Sudan (GoSS) estimates as 150,000 people , creating a dire need for water, sanitation and other essentials.

June 12 2011 (TURALEI, Warrap State) - The government of soon-to-be independent region of South Sudan has launched a synchronized mass immunization campaign to cover a total of 56,219 children aged below five years in response to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI). The campaign kicked off on Saturday in the southern town of Turalei, Warrap State.

June 10, 2011 (TURALEI, Warrap state) - Community leaders from the contested region of Abyei on Friday called for more humanitarian assistance for internally displaced persons (IDPs) who have fled to various parts of the Greater Bahr el Ghazal region after the outbreak of violence in the oil-producing area.