U.S. Evacuates Nonemergency Staff from South Sudan Amid Rising Tensions

The U.S. State Department has ordered nonemergency personnel to leave South Sudan as tensions rise due to violence in the north. Clashes leading to arrests connected to Vice President Riek Machar threaten the ongoing peace agreement. The U.N. highlights deteriorating conditions, stressing the need for leadership to prioritize peace and human rights.

The United States State Department has ordered nonemergency personnel to evacuate South Sudan’s capital amid intensifying tensions due to ongoing fighting in the northern region. The latest travel advisory highlights the availability of weapons among the local population and the unfolding violence in the country.

Recent clashes involved an armed faction and the national army, resulting in the arrests of two government ministers and a deputy army chief associated with former rebel leader and Vice President Riek Machar. These developments have raised concerns among Machar’s supporters, who believe that such arrests threaten the fragile peace agreement established in 2018.

Since the civil war in South Sudan from 2013 to 2018, which resulted in over 400,000 casualties, a tentative peace accord between President Salva Kiir and Machar has yet to reach full implementation. The situation escalated further on Friday when an attack on a U.N. helicopter on an evacuation mission was regarded as a potential war crime, complicating security efforts in the region.

In response to these escalating tensions, the U.N. Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan expressed concern, warning that the current violence could jeopardize the peace agreement. Chairperson Yasmin Sooka emphasized the urgent need for leaders to prioritize peace and human rights, promoting democracy rather than exacerbating divisions and conflict.

In conclusion, the United States has mandated the evacuation of nonemergency government personnel from South Sudan as fighting intensifies and the security situation deteriorates. The consequences of recent arrests and increased violence threaten to undermine the peace agreement signed in 2018. Urgent actions are required from the leadership to preserve South Sudan’s progress toward peace and democracy.

Original Source: www.local10.com