Fierce overnight artillery and gunfire
fight has left more than 100 soldiers dead in South Sudanese capital,
Juba, on the fifth anniversary of the country’s independence.
The
fight started on Friday evening as President Salva Kiir, first Vice
president Riek Machar and second Vice President Igga Wani, met to
discuss the cause of fighting which left five soldiers dead on Thursday.
South
Sudanese local media reported the casualties at 150 deaths, including
36 soldiers from the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-Opposition
(SPLM-IO) loyal to Machar and 80 from President Kiir’s side.
Machar
remains the Commander-In-Chief of the forces loyal to him while Kiir
maintains the command of the overall national security forces as part of
a peace deal ending months of conflict.
Meanwhile, the fight at the Presidential Palace led the U.S. Embassy in South Sudan to issue a travel advisory.
The advisory warned against non-essential travel to the vicinity of the palace and elsewhere in Juba.
“The
U.S. Embassy advises U.S. citizens that small arms fire has occurred in
the vicinity of the Presidential Palace and elsewhere in Juba. Citizens
should avoid the area of the Presidential Palace and exercise caution.
Once in a safe location, U.S. citizens should shelter in a place
preferably away from doors and windows and avoid non-essential
movement,” stated the advisory.
During the Friday fight, gunfire
also rocked the UN compound, where thousands of people displaced by the
2013 political crisis have been sheltering.
The UN Mission in
South Sudan (UNMISS) said it was outraged at the outbreak of the
violence in Juba, which severely affected the civilian population.
The
heavy fighting in Juba town and in close proximity to the UNMISS
compound located at UN House, Jebel, prompted hundreds of internally
displaced people to flee from the UNMISS protection of civilians site.
The UN said several rounds of ammunition hit the buildings in the house.
UN
peacekeepers have increased their presence on the perimeter of PoC
sites one and three and enhanced their patrol inside and in the vicinity
of the sites.
The UNMISS said its staff were providing assistance to those injured during the fighting.
The
South Sudanese Ministry of Defence confirmed the fighting stopped on
Saturday, the official day for the celebration of the independence
anniversary.
However, authorities in South Sudan announced there
would be no national ceremony to mark the Independence Day celebrations
due to the lack of finances to organize the event.
The country, recovering from crisis which broke out in 2013, took the step to withhold the national celebrations.
But
the president planned to issue a televised national address on economic
and political governance progress since the signing of a peace
agreement with his vice.
Both leaders called for calm when the
sound of gunfire and mortar shells rang close to the presidential palace
as the three leaders finalized a meeting on the country’s national
security status.
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