Fierce fighting has erupted in South Sudan’s capital.
Advertisement
Violence broke out in South Sudan over the same weekend as the newest country in the world marked the fifth anniversary of its independence.
In the same context, South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has ordered a ceasefire after days of intense fighting in the country especially the capital, Juba.
Despite the August 2015 peace deal that formally ended the war, which began in late 2013 after political disagreements between President Salva Kiir and then former Vice-President, Riek Machar, conflict and instability has spread to previously unaffected areas of the Greater Equatoria and Greater Bahr-El-Ghazal regions. “We hope the First Vice President Riek Machar will follow suit”, he said.
South Sudanese nationals trying to escape the capital were prevented from doing so by authorities, according to a security worker in Juba who insisted on anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the press.
Explosions and “very heavy gunfire” sounding “like popcorn” was reported by a resident in the Gudele area. The Jebel neighborhood also has several embassies, the airport and an opposition camp.
The 15-nation council said it would consider boosting U.N. troops and police to help quell the violence and urged regional countries to prepare to contribute troops. “They are not stopping it”.
Some 350 Self-Defense Forces personnel are now in South Sudan as part of United Nations peacekeeping operations, engaging in civil engineering work.
Also today, two Chinese UN peacekeepers were killed when their convoy was hit by a tank shell. Video broadcast on Chinese state TV showed smoke rising after the attack and Chinese peacekeepers tending to their wounded. Tanker trucks have been unable to bring water to the tens of thousands of people in the base.
This is indeed a troubling time for the South Sudanese people who have suffered the brunt of war since 1954, and had finally tested peace after getting independence from Sudan in 2011.
There has been no official death toll from the recent flare up but at least five soldiers died on Thursday and a Health Ministry source said 272 people, including 33 civilians, were killed on Friday. Many supporters of the president are Dinka, while supporters of Machar are mostly Nuer.
Two UN compounds in Juba have been caught in cross-fire and sustained mortar and heavy artillery fire.
Advertisement
A senior United Nations official told VOA that contingency plans are being made to evacuate global staff should the situation continue to escalate. The Canadian Embassy has closed, according to a message sent to its citizens.
