Known in East Africa as ‘akala’, a cheap footwear made from rubber tyres gains popularity in South Sudan

Known in East Africa as ‘akala’, a cheap footwear made from rubber tyres gains popularity in South Sudan

In Wau, some 650 kilometres (400 miles) from the South Sudanese capital, Juba, shoemaker Emmanuel Achuil works under the shade of a tarpaulin in the town’s bustling main market. His hands blackened from grappling with rubber, Achuil uses a blade to carve pieces from discarded tyres. Colourful straps are scattered around him like pieces of a puzzle.

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South Sudan teetering on the brink of collapse as oil revenues dwindle and police, army not paid in months

South Sudan teetering on the brink of collapse as oil revenues dwindle and police, army not paid in months

South Sudan’s economy largely depends on the oil it exports via neighbouring Sudan. But war in Sudan has created widespread chaos, and the pipeline in an area of fighting ruptured in February. The drop in oil revenues has compounded South Sudan’s long problem of official mismanagement.

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How splits in one of South Sudan’s ruling SPLA factions may refuel war in Malakal oilfields

How splits in one of South Sudan’s ruling SPLA factions may refuel war in Malakal oilfields

Malakal’s conflict in South Sudan has been frozen in place for years: a consequence of the Padang Dinka’s influence in Juba, which is partly due to their success in keeping Upper Nile’s oil fields – one of the government’s few foreign exchange earners – running. But a split within First...

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