Ankur Desai

Lots of people are really conflicted about him.

So he's got this sense of promise in terms of the way that he has approached his governance.

That's what a lot of people say, perhaps, you know, breaking with the pastor with how African leaders seem to be done.

But a lot of people are saying even with the changes that he's doing in terms of the country's mineral wealth,

It's a sense in terms of consolidating power and wealth for himself and for people around him.

You know, as you mentioned, his human rights record has come under scrutiny.

He's muzzled critical voices.

He suspended international news outlets and suspended even their journalists.

You can see there's been a systematic dismantling of democratic institutions, including the country's electoral commission and political parties as well.

Richard Cagoy reporting from Nairobi.

South Sudan is facing a rapidly worsening security and humanitarian crisis.

Fierce fighting since December 2025 between government forces and opposition fighters has forced hundreds of thousands of people from their homes.

Ted Chaban is UNICEF's Deputy Executive Director and is visiting South Sudan this week and is among the first senior UN officials to reach some of the remote conflict-affected areas.

He's been speaking to James Kopno about what he saw there.

So I was in the Jonglei area of South Sudan.

That's in the northeast where much of the fighting has taken place.

And there's now over 286,000 in this place.

And we went to a small village called Shwil in northern Jonglei.

The population is normally 6,000.

people.