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US commands employees to leave African nation
(MENAFN) The United States has directed its non-emergency government personnel to leave South Sudan due to security concerns following intensified clashes in recent weeks. Fighting between the South Sudanese military and armed youth has been particularly severe in the northern town of Nasir.
On Friday, a UN helicopter attempting to evacuate soldiers from the conflict-ridden Upper Nile State was attacked, resulting in the deaths of multiple South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) members, including a high-ranking general. A UN crew member also lost their life, while two others sustained serious injuries.
In a travel advisory issued on Saturday, the US State Department warned of ongoing armed conflict involving various political and ethnic factions in South Sudan. It highlighted the widespread availability of weapons and rising violent crime, including shootings, robberies, and kidnappings. US government employees in the country are subject to strict curfews and are required to travel in armored vehicles for safety.
South Sudan, which gained independence from Sudan in 2011, has remained politically unstable since the end of a brutal five-year civil war that began in 2013. The conflict originated from a power struggle between President Salva Kiir Mayardit and his current first vice president, Riek Machar. Although a 2018 peace agreement established a power-sharing arrangement, tensions have persisted, exacerbated by Kiir’s frequent dismissals of officials aligned with Machar.
Earlier this month, security forces detained two ministers and several senior military figures linked to Machar. The arrests followed renewed clashes in Nasir, where fighting broke out on February 14 between Sudanese armed forces and the White Army militia, a predominantly Nuer ethnic group historically aligned with Machar. On March 4, government spokesperson Michael Makuei accused Machar’s allies of collaborating with the militia to attack an army barracks near Nasir, stating that they were detained for violating the law.
Despite rising tensions, President Kiir recently assured the nation that he would not lead South Sudan back into war. On Friday, an African Union delegation visited the country, urging Kiir to hold a meeting with Machar to de-escalate the situation, according to a government statement.
On Friday, a UN helicopter attempting to evacuate soldiers from the conflict-ridden Upper Nile State was attacked, resulting in the deaths of multiple South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) members, including a high-ranking general. A UN crew member also lost their life, while two others sustained serious injuries.
In a travel advisory issued on Saturday, the US State Department warned of ongoing armed conflict involving various political and ethnic factions in South Sudan. It highlighted the widespread availability of weapons and rising violent crime, including shootings, robberies, and kidnappings. US government employees in the country are subject to strict curfews and are required to travel in armored vehicles for safety.
South Sudan, which gained independence from Sudan in 2011, has remained politically unstable since the end of a brutal five-year civil war that began in 2013. The conflict originated from a power struggle between President Salva Kiir Mayardit and his current first vice president, Riek Machar. Although a 2018 peace agreement established a power-sharing arrangement, tensions have persisted, exacerbated by Kiir’s frequent dismissals of officials aligned with Machar.
Earlier this month, security forces detained two ministers and several senior military figures linked to Machar. The arrests followed renewed clashes in Nasir, where fighting broke out on February 14 between Sudanese armed forces and the White Army militia, a predominantly Nuer ethnic group historically aligned with Machar. On March 4, government spokesperson Michael Makuei accused Machar’s allies of collaborating with the militia to attack an army barracks near Nasir, stating that they were detained for violating the law.
Despite rising tensions, President Kiir recently assured the nation that he would not lead South Sudan back into war. On Friday, an African Union delegation visited the country, urging Kiir to hold a meeting with Machar to de-escalate the situation, according to a government statement.
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