South Sudan ‘at war’
July 10, 2016, 4:04 pm

Civilians sit after arriving at the compound of the United Nations Mission in the Republic of South Sudan (UNMISS), adjacent to Juba International Airport, to take refuge from the fighting [AP]

Despite numerous international efforts to end a deadly rivalry between political factions in South Sudan, hundreds of people have been reported killed since the resumption of hostilities in the capital Juba on July 8.

Forces loyal to Vice President Riek Machar clashed with President Salva Kiir allies indicating that the three-year civil War never ended but has been festering for some time.

The security situation in South Sudan, which celebrated its fifth independence anniversary on July 9, began to deteriorate on December 15, 2013 when Kiir accused Machar of masterminding a coup attempt. Some reports said that members of the Presidential Guard loyal to Machar engaged in a gun battle with security forces supporting Kiir.

Hostilities erupted when other supporters of the two men, from rival tribes, clashed in Juba.

The situation in Juba this weekend appears to indicate that three years of peace negotiations have been futile.

Machar’s rebel forces on Sunday said their camp in the Jebel district of the capital was attacked by three government helicopter gunships.

A Machar spokesman said that the country was now back to a war footing.

Local media said that 150 people were killed during clashes on Friday.

United Nations peacekeepers reported that rocket-propelled grenades were fired into one of the camps they oversee for internally displaced peoples.

At least one person was killed and dozens injured including women and children, the UN said.

There are about 13,000 UN peacekeepers and police as part of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

There are also about 2,000 experts, observers and aid workers helping with the refugee crisis in the country.

According to the UN, South Sudan highest levels of conflict-induced population displacement globally.

“Nearly one in four of the South Sudan’s citizens is displaced within its borders or in neighboring countries, affecting some 2.6 million people against a population that stood at 11.3 million in 2013. A large majority are children,” the UN refugee agency UNHCR said in its 2016 report.

The BRICS Post with inputs from Agencies