NAIROBI, Kenya — On Sunday, the U.S. State Department directed nonessential government workers to evacuate the capital of South Sudan amidst mounting tensions due to conflicts in the northern regions.
A newly released travel advisory highlighted that fighting was persisting and noted that “weapons are readily available to the population,” signaling a volatile situation.
The recent surge in unrest was ignited when an armed faction engaged in hostilities with South Sudan’s army on Tuesday. This clash resulted in the detainment of two government ministers and a deputy army chief who were aligned with Riek Machar, a former rebel leader and current Vice President.
Machar’s residence was subsequently encircled by military forces, escalating concerns from his supporters that these arrests endangered the nation’s fragile peace accord.
From 2013 to 2018, South Sudan was embroiled in a brutal civil war that claimed over 400,000 lives. A peace agreement between President Salva Kiir and his adversary Machar was inked in 2018 and is currently in the process of being fully realized.
Complicating the security landscape further, a United Nations helicopter on an evacuation task in the north was attacked on Friday. This incident has been labeled a “war crime” by a U.N. rights organization, heightening international concerns.
The United Nations Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan expressed on Saturday that the escalating violence in the north, combined with rising tensions in Juba, the capital, jeopardizes the continuity of South Sudan’s peace process.
“We are witnessing an alarming regression that could erase years of hard-won progress,” stated Yasmin Sooka, the chairperson. She urged leaders to avoid promoting division and conflict, instead recommending urgent efforts to advance the peace process, respect the human rights of South Sudanese citizens, and ensure a seamless transition towards democracy.
