Top stories from DAWNS Digest
USA Slaps Sanctions on Two South Sudanese Belligerents…It was a warning shot from the White House intended to compel both parties to come to the negotiating table. Who was sanctioned? From ABC: “The Treasury Department announced the sanctions against Peter Gadet, who defected from the South Sudan’s military and is accused of leading anti-government forces in an April 17 attack that left more than 200 civilians dead. Also sanctioned was Marial Chanuong, commander of the South Sudanese government’s presidential guard force, who is accused of leading violent attacks against civilians in the capital city of Juba.” Why now? The first face-to-face meeting between Rebel leader Riek Machar and President Salva Kiir is scheduled for Friday and the USA does not want either side to get wobbly. Two are relatively junior officials. Presumably, the subtext is that higher-ups will be face sanction if an agreement is not negotiated in good faith. Deeper Dive: ABC http://abcn.ws/1uwXjW1 and BBC http://bbc.in/1uwXmkC
More Nigerian School Girls Nabbed...Suspected Boko Haram gunmen kidnapped eight girls from a village near one of their strongholds in northeastern Nigeria overnight, police and residents said on Tuesday. (Reuters http://bit.ly/1qau6QS)