Largely Christian South Sudan won its independence from Sudan, a majority Muslim country, in 2011 after years of fighting.
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“I am relieved that everyone was able to evacuate safely”, Mitsuaki Furukawa, head of JICA’s South Sudan office, said at an airport in Nairobi.
Two C-17 transport planes have been pressed into service to pull out about 250 Indians, mostly from Kerala, who have applied to the Indian embassy to leave Sudan, says The Telegraph.
The State Department acknowledged that some people had been barred from boarding a chartered flight.
“We call on you to engage all parties to the agreement to double their efforts to implement this agreement to allow the people of South Sudan to start building a better future”. “We continue to call for immediate, safe and unhindered access for the protection of civilians”.
Thousands of South Sudanese reportedly gathered at the country’s southern border seeking to enter into Uganda, but are also being prevented from crossing, Amnesty said.
“South Sudan – My colleague @Gen_VKSingh has landed in Juba to evacuate Indian nationals from there”. Paddy Ankunda, the Ugandan military spokesman, said.
Officials have also said Machar’s spokesman circulated a false report on the 8 that said Machar was about to be arrested, prompting hundreds of opposition soldiers to race to the presidential compound.
Other countries, including India, were arranging flights for their citizens.
“Why not? We have the capacity to support the government of South Sudan and we were there before”, said the plain-clothed officer accompanying the convoy. A fourth wounded Chinese peacekeeper with leg injuries was airlifted Thursday to Uganda.
“The UN mission, as well as other UN agencies, funds and programs are preparing for the temporary relocation of non-critical staff from Juba”, said Dujarric, adding that they would likely be moved to Nairobi, though he did not have any figures.
Ladsous said that it was likely that the mission would need to be boosted with additional troops and more robust capabilities, such as attack helicopters and surveillance drones, to fulfill its mandate to protect civilians.
Concerns grew about abuses committed during the chaos, which the United Nations says has displaced 42,000 civilians.
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In Juba, others took shelter in churches, United Nations bases and aid workers’ compounds, but there were reports of government soldiers blocking aid workers from moving to areas where civilians need assistance.
