Ethiopia evacuates citizens from South Sudan
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By Tesfa-Alem Tekle
December 29, 2013 (ADDIS ABABA) – As fears rise of a possible civil
war in South Sudan, Ethiopia said it has began evacuating hundreds of
its citizens from conflict-hit regions of the country.
JPEG - 19.5 kb
A US army soldier stands guard as an army aircraft on the runway
readies to evacuate American nationals who are leaving due to recent
unrest and violence in South Sudan, on December 21, 2013, in Juba (AFP
Photo/Samir Bol)
Ethiopia’s ministry of foreign affairs said on Sunday that over 650
Ethiopians have been transported back home as fierce fighting between
government forces and rebels led by sacked vice president Riek Machar
continues in Jonglei, Unity and Upper Nile states.
The spokesperson of the foreign affairs ministry, Dina Mufti, told
reporters that the Ethiopians were evacuated from Nasir town of Upper
Nile state and transported to bordering Gambella region of Ethiopia,
where they are being sheltered temporarily.
Mufti said 300 Ethiopians have also been flown from Bor, the capital
of Jonglei state, to Juba, South Sudan’s capital, on UN helicopters.
The capital has been relatively stable for over a week, after fighting
with the army began on 15 December.
South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir accused Machar and others of
staging of coup attempt but this has been strongly denied. Conflict
spread to Jonglei, Unity and Upper Nile states with many members of
the army defecting.
The United Nations says that over 100,000 people have been displaced
and over 1,000 people killed, including some Ethiopians. Around 60,000
people have taken refugee at UN peacekeeping bases.
If current situations in South Sudan do not improve, Mufti said,
Ethiopian nationals who have been airlifted to Juba will be
transported from the capital.
An additional 800 Ethiopians were also been evacuated from Bentiu, the
capital of Unity state, to Heglig, an oil field controlled by Sudan on
South Sudan’s northern border.
Officials said returnees are receiving the necessary support at
Gambela regional state until they are reunited with their families in
different parts of the country.
To receive the returnees, the Ethiopian government has established a
joint task force drawn from, the ministry of foreign affairs, National
Information and Security Service, Administration for the Refugee and
Returnees Affairs as well as from the Federal Police and Disaster
Prevention.
The Ethiopian government said it is doing everything possible to
ensure the safety of its citizens in South Sudan, where an estimated
15,000 of its citizens live.
There is growing international pressure on Kiir and Machar - who was
sacked in July - to end the ongoing hostility and engage in peace
talks to prevent the nation from sliding into further inter-ethnic
violence.
The South Sudanese government has said it is open to talks without
preconditions but Machar has demanded that all political detainees are
released before negotiations commence.
Leaders from the East Africa member states of the Intergovernmental
Authority on Development (IGAD) have given the two rivals until 31
December to end hostilities and begin peace talks.
If the two sides failed to do so, the leaders warned that they would
be forced to take unspecified action against them.
(ST)
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