The protesters marched to the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) premises and handed over their petition, protesting against a proposal by the AU for the deployment of regional peace keeping troops to the war-torn country, Xinhua reported.
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China is sending its special envoy for Africa to the continent to help with efforts to resolve the political crisis in South Sudan, China’s foreign ministry said on Wednesday. This week African leaders have backed plans to deploy regional troops to South Sudan after recent fighting between rival forces left hundreds of people dead. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has supported reinforcing the mission.
When Gore was asked by a reporter on Tuesday to explain why his boss has never heeded calls by President Kiir to return to Juba, Gore said Machar required a third force for his safety in Juba.
Minister Michael Makuei Lueth who doubles as the official spokesperson for the government, and loyal to President Salva Kiir’s faction, is the first senior government official to confirm the speculations which have been widely circulated on social media and which the multiple sources at the presidency hinted that Machar could be replaced if he fails to come out from his hiding and report to Juba.
Protest organizer Ajongo Ajongo said it would be regettable to impose foreign troops. “No reason for us to think of other things except seeing to it that peace agreement must be implemented”, he said.
As more Kenyans landed back home Tuesday afternoon, many more are said to be stranded in Juba with those still there blaming officers at the Kenyan Embassy in South Sudan for their predicaments. Don’t impose things on us.
Some 29,000 civilians are sheltering at the United Nations base in Juba and another 3,000 have found refuge at another United Nations compound in the city.
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A bloody civil war in South Sudan began in December 2013, when Kiir accused his former deputy Machar of plotting a coup against him.
