let me just say that sudan -- itself, not south sudan, sudan itself has no peace process to speak of. darfur with the mountains, blue nile, eastern sudan, all these places, particularly the first three, there are huge conflicts with thousands and thousands of deaths over the course of the last year alone, and hundreds of thousands of displaced people over the course of the last year alone. nothing is happening on that front. so we need a team, a cell i think of people to work with our special enjoy, to be able to help deepen these processes. particularly in the south, i want to associate myself very strongly with what ambassador lyman said. there are a number of layers. but then you have to bring in others. you have to get involved with the governance reforms that has to be part of this process. there are reasons why the war erupted so quickly, whether it was a coup or not, and spread to all the different regions of the country. well, there's a lot of problems, so they're not being addressed through the regular channels, so they need to be reformed. the intercommunal reconciliation ef

sudan. but we are committed to ensuring that sudan does not fail. we're committed to staying with the process to get them to the peace negotiation table and committed to sudan having a future for their people. they are disappointed. they've been failed by their leaders. we still we have to stand with the sudanese people to take this to a conclusion that that will lead the country back on the right track. >> chairman menendez was asking a little bit about the u.n. forces. many of us have been to darfur and seeing the mandate the u.n. had there and been frustrated in the past by that. does this have a right to mandate on the ground in south sudan right now? >> we think they do? but we have looked at the mandate. and given the current situation on the ground, we need to beef up their mandate, particularly on the peace keeping side. they are there as a protection force. and certainly in terms of their numbers and capacity, they're not a place to handle the current situation. and it's our hope to

now south sudan. and it seems to me that as we start negotiating and we say we are getting documentation and we're going to make sure that tribunals -- that this becomes an afterthought rather than a primary thought. quite frankly i think one of the problems that we have, is that those who perpetrate ethnic cleansing and ugly the international community will ever hold them accountable for their crimes against humanity. and endlessly make this a real priority, unless we talk about it, and don't put it on a side, and we have to take care of stopping the violence and to the parties talking to him we don't want to bring up issues that might be divisive. we're never going to get the type of attention to accountab accountable, accountability for those who commit crimes against humanity that we need. so i've been here for too many of these ethnic cleansing problems around the world. and the response of those who perpetrated it has been weak at best. so what can you tell this committee about how the united st

let me just say that sudan -- itself, not south sudan, sudan itself has no peace process to speak of. darfur with the mountains, blue nile, eastern sudan, all these places, particularly the first three, there are huge conflicts with thousands and thousands of deaths over the course of the last year alone, and hundreds of thousands of displaced people over the course of the last year alone. nothing is happening on that front. so we need a team, a cell i think of people to work with our special enjoy, to be able to help deepen these processes. particularly in the south, i want to associate myself very strongly with what ambassador lyman said. there are a number of layers. but then you have to bring in others. you have to get involved with the governance reforms that has to be part of this process. there are reasons why the war erupted so quickly, whether it was a coup or not, and spread to all the different regions of the country. well, there's a lot of problems, so they're not being addressed through the regular channels, so they need to be reformed. the intercommunal reconciliation ef

from the republic of sudan. after decades of war, they were peacefully and joyfully voting for separation and for a new future. then senator kerry, my new boss was there to witness that historic moment. the united states played a critical role in getting the world's youngest nation on the map. today tragically the world's youngest country and undoubtedly one of the most fragile democracies is in danger of shattering. the united nations has report that more than a thousand people have died, over 240,000 have fled their homes including a number of refugees in neighboring countries. political rivalries have taken on ethnic dimensions. atrocities are being committed. men, women and children are caught in the crossfire. this is not the future for which the people of sudan voted three years ago. south sudan's crisis began less than a month ago on december 15 with a political struggle that escalated into broader violence. however, the fighting began -- as the fighting began, a few things became crystal clear. first, ne

sudan says it will help protect south sudan's oil fields from rebel fighters. >> the woman known as jihadane gets 10 years behind bars for a failed murder plot. >> people at risk of frostbite in north america as polar air grips the region. >> hello, the battle for the iraqi city of fallujah is heating up. the prime minister asked residents to drive out fighters he calls terrorists. in response, they warn of dire consequences if they support the army. thousands fled fallujah. 400,000 were thought to live here. now the streets are deserted. the islamic state of iraq and levant has been occupying parts of anbar province for several days. at least 45 people, including 22 soldiers have been killed so far. tribal loyalties have been questioned. now another al qaeda group has emerged. >> the revolutionaries of our tribes in fallujah resolved to punish the tribesman who decide to join the sectarian forces and join the military council. they have decided to join the scheme run by the government. >> the united states is speeding up the delivery of missiles to iraq, but the white house will not be s

sudan. those loyal to kiir's ex-vice president, riek machar. in we came here to understand what we can do to stop this war. our belief is that military solutions does not sof the problem, and the problems are very complicated so the people will at the end sit and negotiate until they reach an agreement. >> in the capital khartoum. we come to you sort of in the middle. what do you know of the negotiations taking place in addis ababa? >> yes, conflicting reports about the negotiations in addis ababa. the main negotiations is that they are somehow stalled because of the rueful of the south sudanese representative delegation there to accept their and in thademands that were prey the rebel side basically to organize elections, for more participation and specific conditions that they have submitted there, and the juba side, those represent manage salva kiir are still refusing to accept those conditions. we also know that in sudan activityada itself,south sudan l cease fire to the rebel leaders. in

>> we have officials with long history in south sudan and sudan issues. john kerry and susan rice, others, are respected a great deal in south sudan. i think that gives us a lot of leverage. second, there is a historical connection to the people of south sudan and the people of the united states. human rights groups, there has been a history of solidarity. is not like this and other parts of the world, and the united states and china have similar interests in resolving the conflict in south sudan. if the u.s. and china can work together, that is where the leverage is going to come from. i think it president obama reaches out to beijing and says let's work together on this and make this an effort, i think that will influence and affect the calculations to the parties on the ground. thanks verydergast, much. a lot of countries with a lot of interest in south sudan. health of the former israeli prime minister, who has been in a coma, has deteriorated. the medical center where he is being treated says he is in grave condition and his family is by his bayside.

>> we have officials with long history in south sudan and sudan issues. john kerry and susan rice, others, are respected a great deal in south sudan. i think that gives us a lot of leverage. second, there is a historical connection to the people of south sudan and the people of the united states. human rights groups, there has been a history of solidarity. is not like this and other parts of the world, and the united states and china have similar interests in resolving the conflict in south sudan. if the u.s. and china can work together, that is where the leverage is going to come from. i think it president obama reaches out to beijing and says let's work together on this and make this an effort, i think that will influence and affect the calculations to the parties on the ground. thanks verydergast, much. a lot of countries with a lot of interest in south sudan. health of the former israeli prime minister, who has been in a coma, has deteriorated. the medical center where he is being treated says he is in grave condition and his family is by his bayside.

thank you. >>> let's get more for the prplts for impending violence in south sudan' sudan's capitol. eric reeves , currently with smith college, he has testified several times to congress and eric joins us on skype from northhahampton, massachusetts. the unverified claim that rebel soldiers are marching on the capitol just as cease fire efforts get underway. do you think there is any credibility in those reports? >> i think there very likely is. phillip aguirre, the spokesman for south sudan's army, has indicated that the rebel forces have actually moved 13 miles south of bor which is 125 miles north of juba the capitol. if there is a confrontation between the spla and the rebel movement on that road, it will be very bloody. it will ensure that fighting does not stop. and it will almost certainly collapse the talks that are currently about to get underway, three weeks after the events that precipitated those sections. >> those talks seem to have been delayed, we're not exactly sure why. you are suggesting that if there is a major confrontation between the spla and this rebel movement

what is sudan's interest in this? is the sudan president doing what he is doing, gone to south sudan and taken sides and before this he maintained it was neutral? >> yes, among all those countries that you have mentioned, sudan says it's the most concerned the country that should be the first to be concerned and to do something about the crisis and the conflict in the south. and we have seen it in the last three weeks that the country -- the government is neutral and saying time and again they don't want to take sides and don't want to get involved in that conflict or interfere with the affairs with the neighbor in the south and yesterday was a surprise but since yesterday we are trying to understand why the president bashir have taken dramatic steps with the crisis in the south. it's clear from the information we have from the beginning of the crisis in july when the president talked about the vice president and senior members of the sb and m it's very clear from that beginning that those senior members were siding w

we will have more on south sudan after the headlines. the human brokered syria prose talks -- peace talks have hit a snag today with opposition delegates refusing to meet directly with government counterparts. the two sides were due for their first face-to-face talks after opening rounds of speeches on wednesday. the al-assad regime rejected the opposition's precondition of endorsing the formation of a transitional government. brahimi islakhdar shuttling between the two sides today to keep the meeting alive. at least five people have been killed and over 70 wounded in three separate bombings in the egyptian capital of cairo. the first attack at the main headquarters of the egyptian police, shattering windows and leaving a gaping hole in the street. no one has claimed responsibility, but a sinai-based militant group they carried out previous attacks on police released a statement threatening further violence. the military government has used previous incidents to increase its crackdown on the muslim brotherhood. in a statement, the brothe

south sudan broke away from sudan in 2011 after a 2008 peace deal that ended decades of war. >>> annualame in europe where basketball is gaining plairp. >>> an american woman is opening eyes on how to deal with a child of autism. >> dating back to 1990, the nba has held 17 regular season games abroad. all with an idea to expand globally. it marked a third nba game london has hosted in the last four years. the sold-out crowd got its money's worth. joe johnson got credit many threp3-point shots, former nba r dennis rodman's controversial trip to north korea. >> he didn't invite me to go with him. and had he, i would have declined. i think those things are best done in coordination with government to make sure the right protocols are followed and sports diplomacy is used at its highest and best level. and there's a huge huge spot for sports diplomacy. birthday parties for dictators that torture kill starve, develop missiles and bombs, not so much. and that's my thought. >> well, baseball commissioner bud selig called, instant replay, only used to determine home run calls and initiated by t

. >> ethnic rivalries go back decades in south sudan. during this civil war, a lot of times, southerners were fighting southerners, and there were deep divisions within the various ethnic groups during that time. when the fighting broke out last time, it quickly turned into ethnic fighting. there is a tribal element to it, to the current crisis. >> tell us more about the situation in south sudan. >> and others, by people have been seized from their house in northern serious -- syria. for more, we can speak now to "france 24's" beirut correspondent, who is following the situation from across the border. what more do we know? >> this is an instance has been kept largely under wraps. we spoke to the communications officer here in the region. they said this is something they are trying to keep secret, but that it has been leaked, and therefore, they have had to comment on it, but they are trying to keep negotiations behind the scenes. know is for the officers, we do not know what their roles were or their nationalities -- they were taken fro

but how does one shorthand the south sudan story? two ex-rebel leaders of differing ethnicity but members of the same party, president kiir and vice president machar who were part of the same government when kiir fired machar and then led to fighting between members of two different ethnic groups who are always fighting each other. the answer, to hear the international media tell this african story, it's two tribes that have gone to war. >> what has been missed here, the leading party, and actually the laws and regulations and constitution of the party, this is completely--nobody wants to discuss it. but this is what they're fighting over. >> the media has the responsibility to make sure that they cover this beyond just the ethnic conflict because it helps to deepen the divide if you do it the wrong way. if you think of us, think of something newer. they pick up a newspaper and say read this. this is a struggle between neighbors, and the only way to dissolve this is sleetl complet. >> in south sudan in particular there are a lot of s

to south sudan. this is his first visit, isn't it? >> reporter: yes this, is his first visit. people were surprised with this visit because they did not expect him to go to juba at a time when there was news of clashes a couple of days ago, but bashir has insists on going and showing support, and after he's return to about an hour ago to kartoom. they have asked for coordinated efforts between the two countries sending military to protect the oil wells, the agreement on that is not yet signed, but they're working on it, discussing t and the foreign minister even talked in the north to send hundreds of technicians to go and protect the oil wells. but it is an intricate situation. we know so far that the oil wells in the area to the north are still under the control of the rebels. they are concerned and there is a lot at stake here in the conflict in the south, and this visit explains that as you can see. >> it looks like business asocial iasusual in khartoum. >> it will drain our resources here in the

sudan, where the largest fields are. then came the world financial crisis. in 2011 national growth plunged from 7% to 1.3%. now south sudan made a softer flow of southern oil. this will cost sudan about 12% of its revenue by the release of the pipeline. the amount of oil which is moving in the pipeline, it used to be about 250,000 barrels a day. this has been reduced now to 200,000 barrel a day. without reaching to a political settlement. without reaching to a ceasefire. >> it is a shaky situation. >> there are other concern to how sudan balanced its budgets. >> oil and water sustains life here in sudan, at the moment these two fluids is under threat. a dam is being built in ethiopia and is expected to hold 80 billion litres of water that would flow to sudan. sudan's agriculture could be severely affected. >> more people are smoking cigarettes than before. a billion people across the world have taken up the habit. figures published is the journal of american publication shows 960 million smoke every day, compared with 72

sudan but also south sudan's laborers and international community painting a rosy picture of the countryevelopment for a long time and it will be a long time before things go back normal. >> thank you very much mohamed and that is mohamed reporting live. meanwhile in neighboring central african republic the country is facing violence and displaced hundreds of thousands of people and a regional summit being held to discuss the crisis and he is under pressure to resign. and blamed for failing to stop fighting between muslim and christian malitia and we will go live to barnabie phillips and i understand you are at the site of a hospital where there was an alleged massacre a month or so ago and it was closed and reopen and what is it like there, what is the situation? >> well, in some ways the situation in this particular hospital is better. it really was horrific what happened in december and they went in the building behind me, pulled out the injured, the sick and massacred them in the car park where i'm standing. after that the hospital naturally closed down completely. everyone was too a

and south sudan have ties and mutual interests and sudan relies on revenue from the pipeline and transportouth sudan oil to the harbor for export. >> and it will be cut and it will lose the venue and it will contribute a lot to the sudaneeze crisis and it will double the sense of the crisis. >> reporter: south sudan rebels promised to keep the oil flowing but that is not enough reassurance. >> translator: instability poses real dangers to sudan and committed to peaks and calm returning there because of the security of the two countries is inseparable. if you are asking about military intervention i don't think it's an option here. >> reporter: and they are being neutral about the conflict in the south and staying idle and not find agree solution is a different situation. >> you cannot imagine what is going to happen in the future, if this conflict is going to continue. >> reporter: and he hints at the possible military role for his country in south sudan with a regional peace-keeping force. >> i wouldn't expect that the army will do it alone. but definitely the sudan army have the capabili

for south sudan, that would be a significant move. the u.s. was the godfather of south sudan. they backed the succession and creation of the nation. politically and financially. south sudan depended on large amounts of aid and also they had oil revenues that have stopped, with the fighting going on. no chance of extracting the oil. the aid is cut off, and that cuts off the income for the government of south sudan. that would put serious pressure on them to come to the table. whether or not that would be enough to de-escalate the interpretations between the president and former vice president will remain to be seen. >> thanks for that malcolm webb. >> neighbouring central african republic has displaced the violence. a regional summit is being held in chad to discuss the crisis. michel djotobia is under pressure to resign. he is blamed for failing to stop the violence. a deal must be worked out. >> we have the duty, the obligation to find a solution to the central african crisis. for that reason we need the frank and sincere collaboration of the three leaders invited to the summ

history, it seems, is repeating itself in south sudan. month; thousands of civilians have been killed. while his mother seems safe for now, south sudan is on the brink of a civil war that could create more lost boys. [ female announcer ] hands were made for playing. legs, for crossing. feet...splashing. better things than the joint pain and swelling of moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. if you're trying to manage your ra, now may be the time to ask about xeljanz. xeljanz (tofacitinib) is a small pill, not an injection or infusion, for adults with moderate to severe ra for whom methotrexate did not work well. xeljanz can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers have happened in patients taking xeljanz. don't start xeljanz if you have any infection, unless ok with your doctor. tears in the stomach or intestines, low blood cell counts and higher liver tests and cholesterol levels have happened. your doctor should perform blood tests before you start and while taking

we may see south sudan sign a ceasefire deal with one of the rebel groups.ng with south sudan, seven men accused of involvement in a coup attempt have been released from prison and flown to kenya. their deattention has been a sticking point in peace talks. we have this report from juba. >> the freed men were all smiles as they greeted kenya's president. he had been flown to the kenyan capital. >> i'm pleased to announce that the president of south sudan, his excellency, president salva kiir released to my custody seven of the 11 detainees held in his country. they are behind me. >> the release was pard of a broader agreement between riek machar, and rebels held by president salva kiir. one was a the former justice minister. >> the president is our enemy - not at all. we are his people, his friends, his colleagues, his comrades. >> while this is seen as a breakthrough on the political front, on the ground nothing much has changed the fighting in south sudan forced half a million people from their homes and several thousands have been killed. >> despite the to

yesterday they met with the president of the sudan and cuba. stating the mutual interest of the two men around the country that had been brought to the brink of war. more than 1000 deaths have been caused since it began three weeks ago. joining me is the former french ambassador. we are of course talking about michelle ambroise and a time when the country was still united. first of all, these talks were slow in getting started. what more could be helped? >> that communications are being carried on between the countries for the time being. in terms of mediation, it is going in for the government in khartoum. they will be the first to reach , but for it to succeed i am a bit skeptical. we have heard much news about cease-fire in the past. between the dissidents and the central government. this was just a couple of hours. moving back down again. >> this is a country that is used to decades of violence, to civil wars. >> the separation of the south from the north, a couple of 2011, i thinke ist what happens right now not a civil war anymore after t

south sudan sa sudan is at a cr. it must pursue a path of peace and reconciliation. i am encouraged that president kerr and former president mew sahara have sent negotiators to ethiopia. while these talks talks are a good first step, both sirs must be committed to negotiating in good faith. it is my hope that these talks can bring about a bright future so many south sudanes sudanese e for. the people of the south sudan deserve to understand the true meaning of safety and security, of peace and prosperity. the united states stands with the people of the south sudan through these difficult times. we must pledge to continue to support those who seek peace, democracy, human rights and justice for all of the citizens of the world's newest nation. with that, mr. president, i would i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: quorum call: quorum call: mr. mccain: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent further proceedings under the quorum call be suspended and that i address the senate as if in morning business. the pre

>> everything is hinged on a peace deal and possible transition of government in southern sudan.of the rebellion is huge for the treasury and painful for the families of those who lost their lives and men and women in the south. and i think that there is no illusion on the part of uganda authorities that a peace deal is to be best food forward. >> reporter: thank you so much. >> thank you very much. >> reporter: libyan jets attacked targets this the south of the country after gunmen stormed an airforce base and ground troops sent in and follows days of skirmish to those loyal to them and the army has been sent to restore order and we have the details. >> reporter: the decision to send troops to the south came as a decisive response as a group labeled as at the airforce base and supporters of the former regime took to the streets to the west of tripoli carrying posters of kadafi and raising the green flag. >> translator: the whole nation is in state of alert and state institutions like the police and army as well as civil society and the media. >> reporter: the resolution was prec

. >> secretary of state john kerry calling for a ceasefire in south sudan. he calls for a stop to the violence before it becomes an all-out war. >> new rules to ensure commercial pilots get enough sleep. >> welcome to al jazeera america. i'm stephanie sy. dangerously cold weather is descending on a big part of the county. forecasters warn that a widespread arctic blast known as the polar vortex threatens to bling a chill not felt in 20 years. some parts of the country could dip below 40 degrees below normal. the northern flames and the upper mid west bracing for weather of minus 60. authorities warn of frostbite and hypothermia. juan carlos molina has more. >> across the midsection, north, south and south-east - cold snow and whipped are bringing -- wind are bringing cities to a stand still. it's part of the polar vortex. it's normal to push the weather to the south, this winter is different. >> areas that are accustomed to cold temperatures have not seen this degree of cold air in 20 years. in some cases we see record lows or highs set. >> the plummeting te

the president of sudan is an south sudan for talks with president salva kiir. the negotiations are aimed at ending three weeks of violence. on the ground, fighting continues. bang but a she prime minister says his -- the bangladeshi prime minister says his reelection is legitimate, despite the boycott and the violence that marred the election. 20 people are none too have died on polling day alone. temperatures could fall as far as 45 to 50 degrees celsius below freezing in some parts of the midwest as a polar vortex grips the united states. it is the start of the political year here in france. on friday, the cabinet held its first meeting of the council of of 2014. the rest of political classes get back to work today, an opportunity to look ahead at the year for francois hollande. much of the french press is focused on is extremely low popularity rating. we speak now to a professor of politics and rector of the center for europe in the u.k. thank you for joining us. first of all, the popularity rating -- 31% of french people believe the president is competent,

. >>> in south sudan, care forgive that country's orphans. today we talked to a family about why they went back in. >> and we begin with breaking news, the u.s. air force reports one of its helicopters have crashed in the united kingdom. there are reports of four people killed. the helicopter went down during a training mission on the east coast of great britain. local police have cordoned off a quarter mile area around the scene, which is near an u.s. air base. more on this story coming up. we'll try to reach phil ittner for the very latest. >>> the deep freeze has turned deadly, 11 people have died. people who have had to go outside today did everything they could, well, everything they could think of to stay warm, including lots of layers. a lot of people have been stranded by the cold as flights have been canceled, cars and trains have gotten stuck. jonathan betz is live for us now at new york penn station. jonathan, boy, how is this deep freeze impacting travel for people across the country? >> yeah, a lot of people impacted, tony. frank

bbc news in south sudan. >> and for more on the situation in south sudan, i spoke a brief time ago with peter fam, director of the council's africa center. these peace talks starting in ethiopia tomorrow. what are the peace talks for agreement? >> the problem with the peace talks are two-fold. first, not all of the parties to the conflict are represented there. although the former vice president will be represented, it's not entirely clear he's in full command of the so-called rebel forces. it's not sure who is in command of the white army irregulars and certain plager general peter ga debt, who controls the regular forces and probably one of the more accomplished soldiers formally in the south sudanese military will is not being represented. it isn't a question of who isn't represented. the other question is going to be can peace talks occur while a number of people, political leaders dismissed and subsequently imprisoned by the government in juba remained prisoners. >> now, you warned when south sudan became independent that seldom did a new state had so many disadvantages. was this a

and there are still 230,000 internally displaced people within south sudan.ture first from uganda. malcolm works from the refugee camp. >> reporter: these children had to run for their lives. they are already traumatized and now they have lost their parents. they are among tens of thousands of refugees who fled fighting in south sudan. after days on the road they reached this holding center. now they are waiting for help. this girl says she had to hide in the bush for three days. she said she stepped over more dead bodies than she could count. >> translator: when we crossed the river some people drowned. i got separated from my son, i don't know where he is or if he is alive. >> reporter: the other children are hoping they will find food and shelter. they are all taken to the reception center of a long-term refugee settlement. people brought whatever positions they would carry. but they couldn't bring much because they travelled here for hundreds of kilometers on the back of trucks. they put up shelters to mainly keep the sun off. they are waiting for aide ag

sudan's president omar al bashir is due to meet his south sudan as talks between salva kiir's government and the rebels stalled again. gerald tan explains. >> april 2013, sudanese president omar al bashir on his first visit to juba since south sudan's independence. it marked a stunning turn of events, following two years of frosty relations with the neighbours newly engaging in all of out war over the disputed border. omar al bashir is returning to the south, to address internal fighting that has killed 1,000 people since december. >> this is a surprise of the crisis that the government in juba appears to be mortgaging national credentials, so serious is the challenge to authority. for the past three weeks fighting has been raging across south sudan. the national army as rebels loyal to the deputy sacked in july. it says it began as a coup attempt. the warring factions are sending negotiation teams to neighbouring ethiopia. the ceasefire talks can't get off the ground. the rebels demanded the leaders be free. >> we came to talk peace without conditions, and come and release the people so

it's a potential repeat of what happened during the 20 year war with sudan and thousands of south sudann are in africa alone and they are called the lost boys and they are assessing the numbers but hundreds are believes to be among the rivals here. >> how do we settle the children within the camp population and you see the children and children who you seek and you have the young villages. >> reporter: when the children arrive here they are interviewed to determine if they can be connected with any relatives in the camp and they are reluctant to have people stay with tribesmen fearing abuse and they are kept in a reception area and given close eye on the gate. this is not exactly an orderly place and often times there is chaos. one of the unaccompanied boys here followed the crowd and got on a truck where they are being brought into camps and he was found and brought back here. this is a tent where unaccompanied children stay and fed three times a day and not everyone has an appetite and she and her two brothers got separated from their mother as they fled heavy fighting. >> translator:

that was raising a great deal of concern inside south sudan. the challenge from machar did, of course, reverberate through because of the history. and i think people recognize that that challenge was going to be a major one to be managed by the government. >> now, the composition of the government delegation is interesting to me, particularly since nile was once part of a faction that opposed garang and kiir's vision for south sudan. what might the composition of the delegation mean in terms of larger regional dynamics? >> you know, it's -- you have really three parties a year. you have the government, president kiir's supporters. you have machar's supporters. and you have this group of detainees who are not either. that is, they are looking for a broader party role, a broader use of the party mechanisms and authorities. and to make them part of the negotiati negotiations, you have to enlarge those negotiations to allow for views other than just the two contending parties. but you need to do that to give them a role, because there are two thing

south sudan and sudan. in both countries, each faces multiple points of political violence. and, unfortunately, with unresolved issues that go back many years. and have not been resolved by the secession in south sudan. the explosions in recent week in south sudan has already been to atrocities unfortunately the troops are still aiming for juba and despite discussions, the unresolved political competition threaten the future of the country. in the north, the failed to design a comprehensive strategy to deal with the underlying separatists, autonomy concerns of region and to bring them somewhere into national government, set a new powder keg for the north itself. and then david has already indicated syria. it's internal conflict is no closer to resolution, and over the course of last year, the death toll reached 200,000. it has virtually engulfed lebanon. it's not just syria. it's its impact in the region. lebanon's population has been swollen by 25% by syrian refugees. and that obviously has a skewed lebanon's own sectarian balance. unfortunately as well, despite the resolvi

in south sudan and north it is quiet. some parts are unrecognisable. >> this was a busy market.t's been destroyed. when the fighting started people ran to the base. the government is not in control, but people are afraid to come back into the town. >> many shops and homes have been looted. property belonging to aid agencies was not spared. many humanitarian organizations have relocated. there is fighting in some parts of the state. the army says it's in control of the capital. however, a rumour the rebels could be planning a counterattack makes people nervous. we woke up this morning and have the - and we know they are coming. i stay in the house. if we die, there's nothing i can do. >> government officials are telling people not to listen to who they call propaganda. >> they are our houses. you have norred heard sounds of guns. why are you running away. >> taking a break from the fighting. troops talk about winning back territories. the state is still under rebel control. the security situation makes it difficult for the humanitarian workers to access town and know how bad thin

>> the united sudan and now south sudan, also, are the results of violence that have gone on for decades. and inevitably therefore positions get extremely entrenched. certainly as far as south sudan now is concerned, violence in separation from the north and then a very young state, why people help to get over their entrenched positions. the south sudanese position quite adept and resilient in surviving over many crises both man made and natural. i think beyond the public rhetoric of the leaders, we need to look to the capacities for peace that undoubtedly exist in all communities of south sudan. the peace needs to be built from bottom up even as negotiators try to reach an understanding around the conference table. >> let's hope they can. thanks so much for joining us sir. now there's no respite for people in the united states where forecasters are predicting record low temperatures. people have been warned to stay inside their homes and stock up on supplies. hayda abassi has more. >> after the snow comes the big chill. record low temperatures are predicted to spread across the u.s. mid

. -- the cease-fire and south sudan is still temporarily in place. the fragile truce was signed last week. the humanitarian crisis in the newest nation is devastating. >> the convoy on the streets of the local market -- ransacked and looted. a situation is so dire. >> we have lost enough food to people for a,000 month so far. >> the local hospital is suffering from a lack of medicine. forfacility is now a camp internally displaced people. >> many of the people you see in the hospital are here because of the war. they came here and they will not leave. we told them to return home. they say they are afraid. it iser intense fighting, controlled by government forces. residence say insecurity remains. >> they have no commodities, no markets. all of the houses have been destroyed and looted. people are wondering what they will do if they stay at home. there is no solution. if you stay at the hospital, there is no solution. people are really confused. >> the cease-fire was signed last week. sporadic fighting has prompted many people to return -- to remain i

. >> heartbreak in south sudan, american mission ris forced to flee violence, leaving behind orphans they've cared for for a decade. >> and robert gates takes aim at president obama in a tell-all book. [ ♪ music ] >> hi everyone, good to have you with us. i'm thomas drayton, it's downright cold. most of the country is dealing with brutal subzero temperatures. the freezing weather is not just wreaking havoc, it's having an effect in places where winter goats, hats and gloves are never almost ever used. al jazeera's jonathan betz has more. >> a polar plunge across the u.s. from the midwest where a state of emergency declared in 29 countries after tens of thousands lost power. >> temperatures dropped in the house. my son was concerned. >> georgia with single digits for the first time in decades. schools closed, shelters opened in atlanta. i'm wearing long underwear. >> philadelphia, louisville - stunningly low temperatures. new york yesterday in the 50, and 60 degree plunge 24 hours later. temperatures hovering, shattering a record from 1896. >> it's cold. i should have stayed home. >>

let's bring in a map with the two key players in this conflict that is uganda and sudan. now ugandan troops on the airport in juba. and in the background you have a very deep and old antagonism between the presidents of uganda and sudan. that said this has led to fears that ugandan troops may eventually intervened on the side of silva can tell that is a strong ally. all of a ugandan present during the seventy and we then might have a situation where react mac shop. to counter balance as at the palau would tend to talk to to omar al bashir the president of sudan with every show has in the cost at tony's open to mystic he aligns himself with khartoum he would not at that stage yet but analysts have been warning all possible trips the wall. if this whole situation sense than escalates and the international community has also been trying to weigh in trying to prevent the crisis from escalating into full blown civil war the us has been particularly active. which yes because the us is the key spots on set up south sudanese independence and it is actually the key ally of the uk

it is our sedan tha sudan that e of making the leap. we address the mems of our party during this, it is also a call for them to continue to work and respond to the people's desires and aspirations. what we ask for today from all the sedanese, those members of organization and nonmembers is not an easy task yet it cannot be described as unjust simply for the reason that the congress itself is taking the initiative. we address this call to the national congress before any other party i to take call seriously and give presidency and priority tot call of the nation prospect steal away from individual partisan affiliation or realities. paving the way for a healthy race for the interests of the country. also, giving opportunities for the qualified individuals to take part in the responsibility. we should move forward with honest consideration. we should not be fall terd or relent. and in order to live up and achieve this patriotic aspiration, we must join forces. and we should also adopt the principle of cooperation, cooperation whereby ever

. >> the lost boys and girls of south sudan. the children fleeing to kenya. >>> the new treatment for hepatitis-c. doctors say it could improve the lives of millions. ho>> >> good to have you with us. these are the top stories on al jazeera. the u.s. secretary of state are urging all sides of the syrian conflict to attend next week's talks and ending the civil war. the syrian foreign minister is in talks with its russian counterpart. they're expected to hold a press conference shortly. >>> the united nations is warning to act now to avoid a genocide in center african republic. more than a thousand people were killed last month in attacks against rival groups. >>> and rahul gandhi will run for congress. several opinion polls predict defeat. >>> an u.n. human rights officer has told al jazeera that parts of south sudan have been reduced to ghost towns. thousands have died in weeks of fighting between government forces and rebels loyal to former vice president riek machar. >> i can confirm that both sides were involved with atrocit

kim campbell, husband and two daughters have been taking care of south sudan orphans for two years. the missionaries are from nebraska, and the missionaries look after orphans. they are two miles from the u.n. camp. the heavy fighting made it difficult to get to the camp. >> we tried to leave the compound. whether they were firing to scare us, or at us, or at other soldiers, there was gunfire. >> it took two attempts to get to the u.n. face. now that they made it to the base, a heart breaking dilemma. if they leave, what happens to the orphans. american officials told the campbells, it's up to the u.n. as to who boards the evacuation flight. >> they are aware who was here. they were put on an evacuation list, so they are rethey are doing what they can do. i understand they have procedures, but i would think enough time - someone can do something. if they are trying to protect children, this is not the place to do it. >> up to 180,000 people have been displaced by the fighting in south sudan. >> a knew era is underway in new york city. democrat bill de blasio was publicly sworn in by

. >> american missionaries caught up in the crisis in south sudan. they want to come home but fear for the orphans they might have to leave behind. >> colorado's new recreation marijuana law going into affect today. anyone over the answer of 21 can smoke and buy pot over th over e counter in licensed stores. it applies to those who live in colorado and those who visit the state. >> we're here at the 3d cannabis center, and right here people are making the first legal purchases of recreational purchases of marijuana. maybe in the world. just a few hours ago sales of legal recreationa recreational a started i. the line has been out the door and across the parking lot all morning long. these numbers tell the story. this is going to be a huge economic windfall for the state of colorado. sales are expected to go between $400 million to $600 million in 2014. a lot of that will go forwards education in the state. this is really sort of an national experiment states looking very closely to see how this plays out. there are still some no, nos, you can't trans

they will deal with the political detanees according to the laws of south sud sudan. now, this, perhaps in response to the united nations security council, one of the last bodies to speak and say that the political detainees must be released. >> there are demon diplomatic efforts trying to find a solution to the crisis. i am joined by atini, the press secretary. the sgrun secretary general has urged south sudan to release those who have been arrested for planning a coup. what is the government's position. >> when the secretary general talked to the president, the president called his government today. together with government ministers and advisors to delibrate on whether the suspect of the attempted coup should be released or not. the position of the government having listened to the explanation given by the minister of justice, it was found that it was not easy to release the suspect because under the transition of the republic of south sudan, if president camin and -- were to come in and release those who were perpetrators of the crime that is punishable, the presi