Nabeel Biajo is a journalist with VOA's English to Africa Service.
The government says the fighting in South Sudan is politically motivated but outside observers say that although it began as a fight for political power, it rapidly degenerated into an ethnic crisis.
South Sudan ranks 171st out of 175 countries that were ranked for perceived corruption by Transparency International, but a government official dismisses the annual ranking as "mere opinions."
A spokesman for the SPLA denies rebel accusations that government forces and local militias attacked several towns in Upper Nile and northern Jonglei states.
Sudan Information Minister Ahmed Bilal says allegations that Sudanese soldiers raped 200 women in Darfur are pure fabrication by opponents of the government in Khartoum.
But US, United Kingdom and Norway say in joint statement they are concerned by statements from Khartoum that major military offensives being planned in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile
Aid agencies, businesses say order is ill-timed and will only make crisis worse
International film festival in Toronto awards documentary about displaced Sudanese
News editor David Ocen is released from custody four days after he was detained over a story that the government says blamed the army for starting the latest round of fighting in Unity state.
In a letter sent to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry before he left for Ethiopia and South Sudan, two leading rights groups say sanctions will help to convince South Sudanese leaders to end months of bloodshed in the country.
