Renewed fighting in South Sudan raises death toll to 272

Renewed gunfights broke out across South Sudan’s capital Sunday between forces loyal to the president and those of the vice president, officials said Sunday, increasing the death toll to at least at least 272 and raising fears that the country is returning to civil war. Among those killed were 33 civilians, witnesses said.
The fighting hit a UN camp for displaced people hit by the violence, according to witnesses.
“The condition is really very bad. We have a lot of casualties this side, I think around 50 to 60 besides those of yesterday,” said an official in the camp, who insisted on anonymity for fear of retribution. “We have civilian casualties. We have rocket-propelled grenades that have landed in the camp which has wounded eight people.”
At least one person has died in the camp, he said, but he did not know about casualties outside where the fighting is heavy.
The fighting broke out on Thursday and Friday between troops loyal to President Salva Kiir and soldiers who support vice president Riek Machar.
The violence has raised fears South Sudan could face more instability after emerging from a two-year civil war, which began in December 2013 after Kiir sacked Machar as vice president.
On Saturday Juba was calm, but on Sunday gunfire was heard in Gudele and Jebel suburbs of Juba, near the military barracks that hosts troops loyal to Machar.
“For about 30 to 40 minutes we heard sounds of heavy artillery in the direction of Jebel area,” an aide worker based in Juba who did not want to be named said.
Government forces attacked a rebel base in the Jebel area of the capital Sunday morning, said William Gatjiath Deng, a spokesman for the rebel forces.
“Three helicopter gunships have just come now and bombed our side,” he said.
Government spokesmen could not be reached for comment.
South Sudan’s civil war was fought largely along ethnic lines with Kiir, a Dinka, and Machar, a Nuer, drawing support from their respective tribes.
A peace agreement last August ended the war but Kiir and Machar have yet to integrate their forces, a key part of the peace deal.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Friday the latest violence highlighted a lack of commitment to the peace process and urged the country’s leaders to end the fighting, discipline military leaders and work together to implement the peace deal.
The UN Mission in South Sudan is on a high security alert with no movement of UN personnel whatsoever, said Shantal Persaud, spokeswoman for the UN mission.

Source: Arab News