The President of the United States, Barack Obama, on Wednesday through the White House announced the dispatch of special forces to South Sudan, the scene of violent clashes in the past few days.
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Uganda’s Foreign Affairs ministry said on Wednesday that several embassies and organisations have evacuated their staff and citizens from South Sudan to the country following fighting between two rival factions in Juba. Two Chinese peacekeepers with the United Nations mission were also killed.
The UN said 36,000 South Sudanese civilians have fled their homes due to the fighting, taking shelter in churches, UN bases and aid workers’ compounds. John Kerry (D-MA), the Obama administration helped “midwife the birth of this new nation”, which gained independence from Sudan in July 2011, while Hillary Clinton was serving as U.S. Secretary of State.
The Security Council is also considering an appeal from Ban for an arms embargo to be imposed on South Sudan and sanctions targeted at those responsible for the violence.
The latest bout of violence started after a localised gunfight outside Kiir’s residence in Juba on July 7 when he was holding a meeting with Machar.
Mr. Kirby also stressed that the USA will call for an emergency meeting at the UN Security Council to address the situation.
The ceasefire comes after days of clashes between soldiers of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and rebel forces in an around Juba.
The two ethnic groups are the Dinka, loyal to President Kiir, and the Nuer, loyal to Vice-President Machar.
“There are bodies in the streets, shops have been looted, markets closed, people are queueing for food and families are desperately trying to leave the city”, said Peter Walsh, South Sudan country director for charity Save the Children.
South Sudan has witnessed heavy fighting between former rebels and government soldiers.
African Union Commission chairwoman Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma called the situation “totally unacceptable”.
DEPUTY President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on leaders in South Sudan to ensure that the current conflict in the country ends as the fighting threatened to plunge it into civil war again.
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Relief workers should be given freedom of movement, said the U.N.’s humanitarian coordinator for South Sudan, Eugene Owusu.
