Some South Sudanese, even those with dual US citizenship, are not being allowed to leave the country, even as the United States, India and other countries continued Thursday to evacuate their citizens while a fragile cease-fire appeared to hold.
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It appears that Kiir’s forces – which outnumbered Machar’s in both troops and heavy weaponry in the city – dominated the battles, with Ladsous stating they were in “full control” of the capital while Machar’s former rebels were “scattered” nearby along the city’s western outskirts.
Fighting between rival troops began a week ago in the capital Juba, plunging the nation into its worst crisis since the end of a two-year civil war.
Uganda’s army has begun evacuating its citizens from inside the neighbouring country, and the United States has deployed nearly 50 soldiers to protect its citizens and embassy. Both sides declared a ceasefire on Monday after President Kiir’s forces overran Machar’s base. But residents remain tense and many foreigners have been leaving.
The ceasefire announcement came as United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon called on the Security Council to impose an “immediate arms embargo” and targeted sanctions on leaders and commanders blocking implementation of the peace deal. We can less than ever afford to sit idle as the people of South Sudan yet again bear the brunt of the intransigence of their leaders.
But President Kiir says greater worldwide intervention is not welcome.
Also those South Sudanese who wanted to flee were possibly finding it hard to travel to Sudan from Juba, a United Nations official told AFP.
“I don’t want any more bloodshed in South Sudan”, Kiir said, speaking in public for the first time since fighting erupted on Friday. “We will not accept that”.
After South Sudan gained independence, tensions continued with its neighbor to the north, but armed militia groups and tribal conflict within its own borders also posed a security risk.
The August 2015 agreement paved the way for Machar’s return to the capital in late April to take up the deputy post in a so-called unity government. We have sent two aircrafts for you.
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However, President Kiir feels the foreign troops in the country are already beyond the required number. There are now some 13,500 troops and police on the ground.
