“The evacuation has been meticulously planned in coordination with the local authorities as well as the support of the Indian peacekeeping contingent in Unmiss (UN Mission in South Sudan)”, external affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said in a media briefing in Delhi. “The peace deal has to be re-worked in a way that keeps Salva Kiir and Riek Machar out of the balance of power”, he said.
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There is concern about fresh outflows of refugees following military clashes in recent days in the capital, Juba, said Ann Encontre, a United Nations refugee coordinator in South Sudan. The UN human rights office has said that since Thursday, 7 July, according to Government figures, at least 272 people had been killed, including 33 civilians. The sides formed a transitional government earlier this year after the government agreed to let hundreds of Machar’s soldiers be stationed in and around Juba for his protection.
“Humanitarian access to affected people has improved dramatically since Monday”. The airport has reopened and Kenya Airways resumed scheduled flights on Thursday. Peacekeepers were able to conduct a limited number of short patrols in Juba today. It followed deadly clashes on Friday and Sunday in the capital city.
The past month has seen an armed confrontation between Kiir’s forces and troops loyal to Machar.
The United Nations said it was ready to work with IGAD on the proposals after thousands of civilians in Juba fled to U.N. bases in the capital to seek refuge.
The State Department acknowledged that some people had been barred from boarding a chartered flight.
The ceasefire took effect from 6 p.m. on Monday and any member of the Machar-led forces who surrendered must also be protected, Makuei said.
Destabilized by these rivalries, the country has yet to build the infrastructure that enshrines and enforces the rule of law, says Mr. Mbaku, remaining saddled with “with weak, dysfunctional, and highly ineffective institutions”.
Two other SPLM-IO officials separately confirmed the incident.
Earlier Tuesday, the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) issued a statement calling on all armed parties to ensure safe passage for people fleeing the fighting and urging neighbouring countries to keep borders open to people seeking asylum.
Mushikiwabo, who was yesterday briefing journalists on the ongoing summit in Kigali, said the South Sudan conflict would be addressed from all angles with aim of not only keeping peace but also getting on with the political process.
He said that just 95 people crossed on Saturday, dropping to 36 on Sunday, compared with a daily average of 167 for July and 171 for June.
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“It’s a short-term mission but it can be complicated by new developments”, Uganda’s government spokesman Ofwono Opondo told Reuters, adding that “you can expect us to stay” if fighting flared again and more people wanted to leave.
