South Sudan’s government has announced that it cancelled a plan to hold a celebration of the country’s independence on the 9 July anniversary this year due to economic crisis.
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In past years, even at the height of a civil war, the government organised military parades and other celebrations.
More than 50 people have been killed in fighting between a new rebel group and government troops in a remote town in South Sudan, and the “smell of dead bodies” is in residential areas, a church official said Wednesday.
The country’s information minister, Michael Makuei Lueth said the death toll could rise.
The rebel leader in that conflict, Riek Machar, has since been re-installed as vice president following the signing of a peace deal with President Salva Kiir in August.
But South Sudan is struggling to stem soaring inflation caused by the war, rampant corruption and the near collapse of the oil industry upon which the vast percentage of government foreign exchange earnings depend.
But fighting continues between numerous militia forces, which now pay no heed to either Kiir or Machar. “At this time, UNMISS is continuing to provide a secure environment for those displaced by the violence in Wau adjacent to its base and UNMISS will consider additional measures in line with its mandate should the security situation deteriorate further”, said United Nations spokesperson, Farhan Haq.
Records indicate that more than 160,000 civilians now live in UN-guarded camps across the country, down from a peak of more than 200,000 a year ago. Numbers could rise, he added, as there were now no casualty figures from the army.
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Tens of thousands have died since war broke out forcing two million from their homes and leaving five million in need of help.
