Dak said that nearly 150 people died in the conflict before a brief peace period was restored on Saturday, which ended with the shootings on Sunday morning.
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Helicopter gunships were spotted flying over the city and loud booms suggestive were also heard on Saturday. Machar finally returned to Juba to resume his former position as vice president in April.
Last month, deadly clashes in Wau in the northwest killed more than 40 people and displaced about 35,000. According to the United Nations, around 1.69 million people have been displaced within the country, while at least 712,000 have gone off to neighbouring countries to avoid the fighting.
Lueth said government troops responded when Machar’s forces attacked a checkpoint, adding that those forces had now been scattered.
“We hope stability will soon be restored for the sake of the people of South Sudan”, President Kenyatta said.
Many feared on Sunday that violence might once again spread outside Juba, causing mass casualties and once again plunging the country into the throes of civil war.
Sporadic gunfire echoed round parts of Juba on Monday, a day after fresh clashes in the South Sudan capital sent thousands fleeing and threatened the young nation’s shaky peace deal.
Fears are growing of a return to civil war in South Sudan after renewed fighting between forces loyal to the country’s president and vice president.
A power struggle between Kiir and Machar escalated into a military conflict in December 2013, killing tens of thousands and displacing more than 2 million people.
The outbreak of fighting on Sunday morning was the first since Friday when brief, but heavy exchanges of fire left an estimated 150 soldiers dead on both sides.
Despite numerous worldwide efforts to end a deadly rivalry between political factions in South Sudan, hundreds of people have been reported killed since the resumption of hostilities in the capital Juba on July 8.
The Head of State now wants heavy weaponry and large contingencies soldiers moved away from civilian areas to avert arm to them, assuring of Kenya’s readiness to support such efforts.
An appeal for calm by the South Sudan Council of Churches, representing the country’s bishops, was played repeatedly on the radio from Sunday.
South Sudan descended into civil war in December 2013 after fighting between forces loyal to President Kiir and his then sacked deputy Machar in Juba.
The UN Security Council on Sunday pressed South Sudan’s neighbours to help end the renewed fighting, asking for extra peacekeepers and also demanding Machar and President Salva Kiir rein in their forces. The two sides have had a peace deal since August of previous year, but appears to be in the process of collapsing.
The UN top body emphasized the importance of transparent investigations into these crimes and that those involved must be held accountable and could be potentially subject to sanctions as authorized under resolution 2206 for actions that threaten the peace, security or stability of South Sudan.
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Analysts say the failure of the two sides swiftly to implement key elements, such re-integrating or demobilizing their troops, has cast a shadow over the peace process.
