South Sudan Civil War II

[Simanova]

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I have friends and relations in South Sudan. That may explain my singular concern with the latest outbreak of violence. It appears both sides stockpiled weapons in anticipation of this.

https://radiotamazuj.org/en/article/breaking-war-south-sudans-juba-resumed

[Simanova]

[Simanova]

https://www.scribd.com/document/317908290/UNSC-Press-Statement-Juba-Fighting-in-South-Sudan

Security Council Press Statement on Fighting in Juba, South Sudan The members of the Security Council strongly condemned the fighting in Juba, South Sudan  between soldiers of the Sudan People's Liberation Army ?SPLA! and the SPLA in "pposition July #$%& The members of the Council further strongly condemned the separate attac?s on () and diplomatic officials that too? place in Juba on July #& The members of the Security Council ac?nowledged the formation of an in*estigation committee and urged the Transitional +o*ernment of )ational (nity to ?uic?ly in*estigate these attac?s, ta?e steps to end the fighting,reduce tensions, and hold those responsible for the attac?s to account& The members of the Security Council stressed the importance of members of military forces  being held accountable for their actions and emphasi-ed the importance of command and control&The members of the Security Council called on the SPLA, the SPLA in "pposition and all other armed actors to cease hostilities and to allow the () .ission in the /epublic of South Sudan ?().0SS! and humanitarian actors access to ci*ilians in need& The members of the Security Council e1pressed deep concern o*er the parties2 lac? of serious commitment to implementation of the Agreement on the /esolution of the Conflict in the /epublic of South Sudan ?Agreement! and called upon the parties to wor? together in the Transitional +o*ernment of )ational (nity to resol*e their differences in the spirit of cooperation, and in this regard, welcomed the 3oint statement made by the President, First 4ice President, and 4ice President appealing for calm& The members of the Security Council demanded the parties e1pedite implementation of all aspects of the Agreement, including ?ey  pro*isions on transitional security arrangements, as a means to restoring peace in South Sudan& The members of the Security Council underscored that actions that ha*e the effect of e1panding or e1tending the conflict in South Sudan, including breaches of the Agreement, may gi*e arise to additional measures as described in (nited )ations Security Council /esolution 55%6 ?5678!& The members of the Security Council e1pressed appreciation to ().0SS and its efforts to carry out its protection of ci*ilians mandate& 9hile the members of the Security Council underscored the importance of the role of ().0SS in the protection of ci*ilians, the primary responsibility for protection of ci*ilians in South Sudan remains with the Transitional +o*ernment of )ational (nity& "n the fifth anni*ersary of South Sudan2s independence, the members of the Security Council urged South Sudan2s leaders to demonstrate leadership that will bring lasting peace and security to South Sudan& The members of the Security Council reaffirmed their unwa*ering support for the people of South Sudan&
9 July 2016

[Simanova]

(CNN)Gunfire from "heavy weaponry" was exchanged for much of Sunday outside a United Nations building on the outskirts of South Sudan's capital Juba, in fresh violence after a day of relative calm, the U.N. mission to the country said.

The mission sent out a series of tweets at about 8:25 a.m. (1:25 a.m. ET) describing "gunshots" and a "heavily armed exchange" outside a U.N. compound.

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 UNMISS @unmissmedia
Gunshots, heavily armed exchange UN House area once again; going on now since approx. 08:25 @unmissmedia
8:46 AM - 10 Jul 2016
  34 34 Retweets   4 4 likes

The U.S. Embassy issued an alert saying that fighting between government and opposition forces was ongoing at the U.N. mission's headquarters, the Jebel area of the city and near the airport.

The U.N. mission in South Sudan, known as UNMISS, said it was "outraged at the resumption of violence" on Sunday. It said that 1,000 internally displaced people had fled its protection as violence hit areas near their camps.

"Both UNMISS compounds in Juba have sustained impacts from small arms and heavy weapons fire. The United Nations urges all parties to respect the sanctity of the United Nations and condemns any deliberate targeting of United Nations premises and its personnel," it said in a statement.

Juba has been racked with deadly violence this week, as the country on Saturday marked its fifth year of independence.

The weekend violence erupted when President Salva Kiir and Vice President Riek Machar were meeting to discuss previous clashes between their forces. Outside the presidential compound where the meeting took place, a gunbattle kicked off.
 

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 UNMISS @unmissmedia
Sustained clash, ongoing since approx. 08:25 heavy weapons, UN House area @unmissmedia
9:24 AM - 10 Jul 2016
  55 55 Retweets   7 7 likes

Pockets of violence had broken out on Thursday evening, and by Friday, soldiers loyal to Kiir exchanged heavy gunfire with others backing Machar, in a bloody skirmish that left almost 150 people dead by Saturday, according to Machar's spokesman, James Gatdet Dak. CNN has been unable to independently verify the exact death toll.

"South Sudan today marked the most horrifying Independence Day in the world this year," Dak wrote in a post on Facebook.
It appeared that calm had been restored by late Saturday, but Sunday's gunfire showed tensions are still stirring.
Helicopters, gunships, tanks

The U.N. Security Council in a statement on Saturday strongly condemned the days of violence, which also saw U.N. and diplomatic officials targeted. It called on the transitional government "to quickly investigate these attacks, take steps to end the fighting, reduce tensions, and hold those responsible for the attacks to account." It also confirmed an investigation committee had been formed.

The statement emphasized the importance of command and control and called on the warring factions and "armed actors" to allow the U.N. mission and humanitarian organizations to access civilians in need.

How UN peacekeepers failed South Sudan
How the UN failed South Sudan (Opinion)

The Indian Embassy in South Sudan advised its citizens "not to panic" and to stay indoors. Many of UNMISS staff members are Indian nationals.
A U.N. base was attacked earlier this week.

"We heard heavy artillery fire at the U.N. (base), and that continued for about an hour or so and then stopped. It was coming form the outer perimeters of the compound," said Shantal Persaud, acting spokeswoman for the U.N. mission.

Helicopter gunships were seen in the sky, and tanks rumbled through the streets. Under the peace deal, both government and opposition troops were stationed in Juba, a plan which many criticized because it put both forces in close proximity.

Command-and-control breakdown
"What we may be seeing is a total breakdown of command and control in Juba," said Kate Almquist Knopf, director of the Africa Center for Strategic Studies. "We need to watch carefully for whether a cycle of reprisal killings by either side begins in the next few days."

Kenya Airways, which operates two flights a day to Juba, said it was suspending all flights to the city because of "uncertain security situation," while Britain's Foreign Office advised against all travel to South Sudan, saying "the security situation in Juba has deteriorated since 7 July."

Two weeks ago, fighting in the western city of Wau between government and opposition troops displaced at least 70,000, according to the United Nations.
The country is nearly out of money because it comes almost exclusively from oil revenue -- the value of which has plummeted in recent years. People have become desperate. In lieu of payment, government soldiers have reportedly been allowed to rape women, a U.N. report said.

South Sudan gained independence in 2011 after 98% of the population voted to break away from Sudan. The East African nation, the youngest country in the world, quickly fell into civil war that took on ethnic undertones.

In December 2013, soldiers from Kiir's Dinka ethnic group tried to disarm Nuer soldiers perceived to be loyal to Machar. Soldiers targeted Nuer civilians in the ensuring fighting, Human Rights Watch says.

The ensuing civil war was gruesome -- at least 50,000 were killed, more than 2 million displaced, and nearly 5 million people faced severe food shortages. Under a peace deal signed in August, Kiir is the president of the country and Machar is the first vice president, but it hasn't stopped fighting.

[Kim Jong-Un's Pajama Pants]

Hindsight is 20/20 but John Garang was right to oppose South Sudanese independence.  These guys will not even give themselves a chance to set up.

[Real P]

Hindsight is 20/20 but John Garang was right to oppose South Sudanese independence.  These guys will not even give themselves a chance to set up.

I thought the large part of their choice to break away was based on the desire to get away from the self destructive BS that had plagued Sudan for ages. They wanted to pursue peace and try to build a proper nation. Was that all just talk?

[Simanova]

[gout]

The world seems to be taking a blotted turn given the news one is getting all over. Even with global population going to school over past two decades something fundamental seems missing in human relations.

[RV Pundit]

Might have been to early to give those primitive goons power early. They have to take 30 yrs fighting before they realize it all in vain.

[Simanova]

Salva Kiir is begging for a ceasefire. It may mean he is losing or just playing for the gallery. However the last time he needed the Ugandans to keep Macharf out of Juba and other towns. He never paid him as agreed. No pipeline and no cash... just empty promises. Mercenaries hate that.

[Simanova]

Samantha Power comes to the rescue of Kiir. I think they should let one side win especially Machar so those Dinkas can seriously talk

The United States representative at the UN Security Council said they have called for regional countries to begin preparing troops for possible deployment into South Sudan.

Ambassador Samantha Power said the Council expressed its readiness to enhance the UN Mission in South Sudan's role in responding to the crisis.

UNMISS is mandated to protect civilians and currently has about 12,000 soldiers and a yearly budget of 1 billion US dollars. But the mission has struggled to protect civilians and exert itself.

UNMISS officials have at times complained of not having enough resources, while critics say UNMISS do not do enough with the troops they have at hand.

A UNMISS peacekeeper was killed and others injured during clashes last night.

Meanwhile, the US government announced it was withdrawing all non-essential staff from its embassy in South Sudan.

[Simanova]

The Americans always get it wrong. Only real enemies make peace. They come in and make peace which becomes irrelevant as the parties have no role in it.

Renewed fighting has broken out in South Sudan between forces loyal to the president and vice-president.

A reporter in the capital, Juba, told the BBC gunfire and large explosions could be heard all over the city; he said heavy artillery was being used.
More than 200 people are reported to have died in clashes since Friday.

The latest violence came hours after the UN Security Council called on the warring factions to immediately stop the fighting.

Latest fighting updates
'We want peace - and ice cream'
Five obstacles to peace
In a unanimous statement, the council condemned the violence "in the strongest terms" and expressed "particular shock and outrage" at attacks on UN sites. It also called for additional peacekeepers to be sent to South Sudan.
Chinese media say two Chinese UN peacekeepers have now died in Juba. Several other peacekeepers have been injured, as well as a number of civilians who have been caught in crossfire.
The latest round of violence erupted when troops loyal to President Salva Kiir and first Vice-President Riek Machar began shooting at each other in the streets of Juba.
Jump media playerMedia player helpOut of media player. Press enter to return or tab to continue.
Media captionJapan's Ambassador to the United Nations, Koro Bessho: "The Security Council members urged an immediate end to the fighting"
Relations between the two men have been fractious since South Sudan won independence from Sudan in 2011.
Their forces have fought a civil war. But despite a peace deal last year ending the conflict, both sides retain their military capabilities and have continued to accuse each other of bad faith.
On Monday, there were reports of tanks on the streets of Juba and clashes close to the airport and UN camps sheltering civilians. The US embassy warned of "serious fighting" taking place.
A BBC correspondent in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, said it was not clear if Mr Kiir and Mr Machar remained in control of their forces.
'Under control'
A UN spokeswoman in Juba, Shantal Persaud, said fighting over the past few days had caused hundreds of internally displaced people to take refuge in UN premises.
She said both South Sudanese leaders were responsible for implementing last year's peace agreement, which included a permanent ceasefire and the deployment of forces away from Juba.
Information Minister Michael Makuei told the BBC that the situation in the city was "under full control" and civilians who had fled should return to their homes.
Mr Machar's military spokesman, Col William Gatjiath, accused officials loyal to the president of lying, and said there had been at least 10 hours of clashes on Sunday.
"The situation in South Sudan is uncontrollable because Salva Kiir and his followers are not ready to follow the peace agreement," he said.
Mr Machar (l) and Mr KiirImage copyrightAFP
Image caption
Gunfire erupted shortly after Mr Machar (L) and Mr Kiir (R) met on Friday
In a statement on Sunday, the US state department said it strongly condemned the latest outbreak of fighting in Juba.
Spokesman John Kirby said Washington had ordered the departure of non-emergency personnel from the US embassy in Juba.
Mr Kiir and Mr Machar had met at the presidential palace on Friday and issued a call for calm.
Calm was apparently restored on Saturday but heavy gunfire broke out again on Sunday near a military barracks occupied by troops loyal to Mr Machar.
A US academic who studies Sudan, Eric Reeves, told the BBC Mr Machar was trying to orchestrate a coup against his rival, with the backing of President Omar Bashir of Sudan.
"This has been planned," he said. "That violence now seems to be part of a co-ordinated coup led by Riek Machar. This changes entirely the complexion of the crisis."
A spokesman for Mr Machar is reported to have rejected this.
How did we get here?
Cattle in South SudanImage copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Image caption
South Sudan's short history has been marked by violence and poverty
July 2011 - South Sudan becomes an independent country, after more than 20 years of guerrilla warfare, which claimed the lives of at least 1.5 million people and displaced more than four million.
December 2013 - Civil war breaks out after President Salva Kiir sacks the cabinet and accuses Vice-President Riek Machar of planning a coup. The war is fought broadly between the country's biggest ethnic groups - the Dinka, led by Mr Kiir, and the Nuer, under Mr Machar.
More than 2.2 million people are displaced by the fighting. Famine puts the lives of thousands at risk. Tens of thousands of people are reported killed, and Mr Machar flees the country.

[Simanova]

I don't know if anybody is interested. Will soon stop these updates

(CNN)The United States and India are evacuating non-emergency staff from their missions in South Sudan as bloody violence in the capital spirals, leaving scores of people dead, including two Chinese U.N. peacekeepers.

Following an overnight lull in the bloody violence, fighting resumed Monday morning, with the sound of gunfire blasting through parts of the capital Juba, according to Shantal Persaud, acting spokeswoman for the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

Persaud spoke to CNN by phone from her bathroom at a U.N. compound, where she was taking cover as gunfire was exchanged right outside the complex, near the city's airport. Shots were also heard outside one of the U.N.'s civilian protection facilities in the city's southeast.

It called on President Salva Kiir and his rival Vice President Riek Machar to control their respective warring forces, prevent the spread of violence and genuinely commit themselves to the implementation of a ceasefire and peace agreement.

A U.N. worker reported seeing a helicopter engage in the fighting north of the compound.

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 Paul Cruickshank @pmcruickshank
Attack helicopters now engaging, to immediate north of UN House #Juba #SouthSudan
11:27 AM - 11 Jul 2016
  16 16 Retweets   6 6 likes

The United Nations Security Council, which held a closed door meeting in New York on Sunday, expressed "shock and outrage" at attacks on civilians and U.N. compounds, saying they may constitute war crimes.

Machar said that soldiers on his side had been bombarded from helicopters.

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 Dr Riek Machar Teny @Drriekmachar
In the last 2 hrs, we went through heavy bombardments by Pres Kiir helicopters. This tells that our partner is not interested in peace. 2/3
12:45 PM - 11 Jul 2016
  102 102 Retweets   15 15 likes

At least 10,000 people have been displaced by the fighting, said Matilda Moyo, reporting officer for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Juba.
The State Department said the security situation in Juba on Sunday had seen a "sudden and serious deterioration," with clashes between government and opposition forces breaking out into "general fighting."

India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said in a tweet that Indian nationals were being evacuated and warned others not to travel to the country. There are many Indian nationals working at UNMISS.

 

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 Sushma Swaraj ? @SushmaSwaraj
South Sudan - I am aware of the developments in South Sudan. We are planning evacuation of Indian nationals. /1
11:50 AM - 11 Jul 2016
  260 260 Retweets   441 441 likes

Japan's ambassador to the U.N., Koro Bessho confirmed the death of a Chinese soldier, while China's state broadcaster CCTV reported the death of a second Chinese peacekeeper.
Other Chinese and Rwandan peacekeepers also sustained injuries.
 

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 People's Daily,China ? @PDChina
#BREAKING 1 Chinese peacekeeper killed, another 6 injured in continuing fighting in #Juba, #SSudan, July 10
4:44 AM - 11 Jul 2016
  61 61 Retweets   35 35 likes

'Total breakdown of command and control'
Fighting first broke out Thursday, with skirmishes between troops loyal to Kiir and soldiers who support his deputy Machar.

Fighting flared again Sunday, with gunfire exchanged outside a U.N. building, after a lull Saturday when the world's newest country celebrated the fifth anniversary of its independence from Sudan.

"What we may be seeing is a total breakdown of command and control in Juba," said Kate Almquist Knopf, director of the Africa Center for Strategic Studies. "We need to watch carefully for whether a cycle of reprisal killings by either side begins in the next few days."

The International Committee of the Red Cross said it ceased almost all its operations in Juba on Friday afternoon when fighting erupted.

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 UNMISS @unmissmedia
Gunshots, heavily armed exchange UN House area once again; going on now since approx. 08:25 @unmissmedia
8:46 AM - 10 Jul 2016
  36 36 Retweets   5 5 likes

"Everything came to a halt because there was too much confusion, too much shooting, too much commotion in town. Checkpoints are making movements impossible," Jurg Eglin, head of the Red Cross mission in the country said.

The World Food Program said thousands of people had taken shelter its compound, also very close to the ongoing fighting, the organization's senior regional spokeswoman Challis McDonough said.

The compound "is designed for about 100 people and it's got something like 3,000 in it right now," McDonough said, calling the situation "very fluid."
She said there was concern that the fighting would hinder distribution of food as the country's main center of coordination is in lockdown.

"The humanitarian needs are acute in some parts of the country and we are tying to make sure we can continue that support but we need to make sure it is in a way that is as safe as possible for our staff and partners," she said.

Death toll unclear
Earlier, South Sudan's information minister said the government is "in full control" of the capital, Juba, despite the United Nations reporting that the weekend's deadly violence had carried into Sunday.

Shots fired at US embassy vehicles in South Sudan
Church services were interrupted by fighting between troops loyal to the president and those backing the vice president, but the violence has since subsided, Information Minister Micheal Makuei Lueth told South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation.

Lueth said President Kiir would issue a permanent and unilateral ceasefire before Sunday's end and urged his rival, Vice President Machar, to do the same "because we want to save the lives of the people of South Sudan."

How many have been killed in fighting between factions loyal to Kiir and Machar is unclear. Though one estimate puts the death toll close to 150, other reports indicate more than 270 have been killed. CNN is working to confirm an exact death toll.

Gunfire
Gunfire from "heavy weaponry" was exchanged for much of Sunday outside a U.N. building on the outskirts of Juba, the U.N. mission to the country said.
The mission sent out a series of tweets at about 8:25 a.m. (1:25 a.m. ET) describing "gunshots" and a "heavily armed exchange" outside a U.N. compound.

The U.S. Embassy issued an alert saying that fighting between government and opposition forces was ongoing at the U.N. mission's headquarters, the Jebel area of the city and near the airport.

Follow
 UNMISS @unmissmedia
Sustained clash, ongoing since approx. 08:25 heavy weapons, UN House area @unmissmedia
9:24 AM - 10 Jul 2016
  55 55 Retweets   8 8 likes

UNMISS said that 1,000 internally displaced people had fled its protection as violence hit areas near their camps.

"Both UNMISS compounds in Juba have sustained impacts from small arms and heavy weapons fire."

The United Nations urges all parties to respect the sanctity of the United Nations and condemns any deliberate targeting of United Nations premises and its personnel," it said in a statement.
Helicopters, gunships, tanks
The weekend violence erupted when Kiir and Machar were meeting to discuss previous clashes between their forces. Outside the presidential compound where the meeting took place, a gunbattle kicked off.

Pockets of violence broke out Thursday evening, and by Friday, soldiers loyal to Kiir exchanged heavy gunfire with others backing Machar, in a bloody skirmish that left almost 150 people dead by Saturday, according to Machar's spokesman, James Gatdet Dak.

CNN has been unable to independently verify the exact death toll.

How UN peacekeepers failed South Sudan

How the UN failed South Sudan (Opinion)

The Indian Embassy in South Sudan advised its citizens "not to panic" and to stay indoors. Many of the UNMISS staff members are Indian nationals.
A U.N. base was attacked last week.

"We heard heavy artillery fire at the U.N. (base), and that continued for about an hour or so and then stopped. It was coming form the outer perimeters of the compound," said Shantal Persaud, acting spokeswoman for the U.N. mission.

Helicopter gunships were seen in the sky, and tanks rumbled through the streets. Under the peace deal, both government and opposition troops were stationed in Juba, a plan which many criticized because it put both forces in close proximity.

Flights canceled
Kenya Airways, which operates two flights a day to Juba, said it was suspending all flights to the city because of an "uncertain security situation," while Britain's Foreign Office advised against all travel to South Sudan, saying "the security situation in Juba has deteriorated" since Friday.

Rwanda Air and Fly 540 also said they were suspending flights into Juba.

Two weeks ago, fighting in the western city of Wau between government and opposition troops displaced at least 70,000, according to the United Nations.

The country is nearly out of money because its funds come almost exclusively from oil revenue -- the value of which has plummeted. People have become desperate. In lieu of payment, government soldiers have reportedly been allowed to rape women, a U.N. report said.

South Sudan gained independence in 2011 after 98% of the population voted to break away from Sudan. The East African nation, the youngest country in the world, quickly fell into civil war that took on ethnic undertones.

In December 2013, soldiers from Kiir's Dinka ethnic group tried to disarm Nuer soldiers perceived to be loyal to Machar. Soldiers targeted Nuer civilians in the ensuing fighting, Human Rights Watch says.

The civil war was gruesome -- at least 50,000 were killed, more than 2 million displaced, and nearly 5 million people faced severe food shortages. Under a peace deal signed in August, Kiir is the president of the country and Machar is the first vice president, but the fighting hasn't stopped.

CNN's Radina Gigova and Eliott C. McLaughlin contributed to this report. Journalist Angela Dewan wrote from London.

[jakoyo]

Find ways of protecting women and children. Let those men fight each other to bitter end. No intervention.

[Simanova]

[Simanova]

Kiir will never stop war mongering