> Three Days of Violence in South Sudan Leave Scores Dead / The New York > Times 18.12.13 >
> By ISMA’IL KUSHKUSH > > KHARTOUM, Sudan — Three days of violence that ignited in South Sudan after > months of rising political tensions have left at least 75 people dead, the > South Sudanese interior minister said Tuesday, although a wire service > report put the death toll far higher. > > The minister, Michael Makuei Lueth, added that thousands of people had fled > the capital, Juba. The United Nations said Tuesday that at least 13,000 > people had fled to a United Nations base in Juba. > > Citing United Nations estimates, Reuters reported on Tuesday night that at > least 400 people had been killed and up to 800 had been wounded. > > On Tuesday, the American State Department said in a statement that it had > suspended operations at its embassy in Juba and asked most of its personnel > to leave the country because of the unrest. The statement added that > American citizens were encouraged to avoid the country. > > Secretary of State John Kerry departed from his prepared remarks on > Wednesday during a visit to the typhoon-devastated city of Tacloban, in the > Philippines, to call for an end to the fighting in South Sudan. > > “Political differences need to be resolved by political and democratic > means,” he said, adding that the United States was taking steps to ensure > the safety of its diplomats in South Sudan. > > On Monday, President Salva Kiir announced that his government had headed > off a coup attempt. At a televised news conference, Mr. Kiir, dressed in a > camouflage army uniform, told the nation that a “group of soldiers” allied > with the former vice president, Riek Machar, had been behind the coup. > > “The attackers fled, and your forces are pursuing them,” he said. “I > promise you today that justice will prevail.” > > Mr. Kiir imposed a curfew and said, “The government is in control of the > situation.” > > Despite his assurances, gunshots were heard across the capital on Tuesday > and witnesses said ethnic tensions were rising. > > While communications were disrupted by the conflict and information on who > had the upper hand remained scarce, the government’s official website said > Tuesday that the Juba International Airport had reopened. > > The website also reported that 10 political figures had been arrested in > connection with the attempted overthrow of the government, but that Mr. > Machar remained at large. In a statement, the United Nations denied that > military or political figures had been given refuge at the base. > > In July, Mr. Kiir dismissed his cabinet, including Mr. Machar. The move was > seen in part as an effort to ease tensions with Sudan because some of the > cabinet members were viewed as longstanding adversaries of Sudan and > therefore as obstacles to improving ties. > > In Sudan, Abu Bakr Siddig, a spokesman for the Ministry of Information, > said of events in Juba, “It is an internal matter, and we are keen to see > stability in South Sudan.” > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "South Sudan Info - The Kob" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/SouthSudanKob/CAJb14ootC7ycnC%3Doe451e18dy9b5ViegjL-rBh3mFURuSL3GXQ%40mail.gmail.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
