JUBA Uganda's army began evacuating citizens from inside neighboring South Sudan on Thursday where fighting between forces loyal to the president and his rival has plunged the nation into its worst crisis since the end of a two-year civil war.After the civil war erupted in 2013, Uganda's forces also crossed into South Sudan to assist with evacuations, but in that case they also stayed on to help President Salva Kiir secure the capital Juba. At the time this raised worries about the conflict widening but the forces withdrew late last year.This time, Uganda said its troops, who witnesses said entered South Sudan in trucks and armored vehicles, would stay in a town outside Juba and focus on evacuations.But a Ugandan official said a fresh flare-up could mean a longer stay, without giving a timeline.Juba has been calm since Monday evening, when Kiir and Riek Machar - the former rebel leader and now vice president - ordered their forces to cease hostilities. But residents remain tense and many foreigners have been leaving."It's a short-term mission but it can be complicated by new developments," Uganda's government spokesman Ofwono Opondo told Reuters, adding that "you can expect us to stay" if fighting flared again and more people wanted to leave.The regional African grouping IGAD has called for the U.N. mission UNMISS to be given a stronger mandate to enforce peace in South Sudan and called for extra troops to keep order. The United Nations said it was ready to work with IGAD on the proposals after thousands of civilians in Juba fled to U.N. bases in the capital to seek refuge.HOPES FOR CEASEFIREKiir said there was no need to add to the 12,000-strong UNMISS force. "UNMISS here has so many foreign troops, so we will not accept even a single soldier here," he told a news briefing. Festus Mogae, the former Botswana president who heads the international mediation and monitoring body JMEC, met Kiir on Thursday and said he wanted talks.Many foreigners have been evacuated from South Sudan, the world's newest nation which is still recovering from the civil war which killed thousands of people and drove more than 2.5 million from their homes.Some shops opened up on Thursday and more people were on the streets. The airport has reopened and Kenya Airways resumed scheduled flights on Thursday. "We all hope the ceasefire will hold ... But at the moment the situation is very unstable," deputy German ambassador to Uganda, Petra Kochendoerfer, said in Uganda's capita Kampala late on Wednesday where evacuated German citizens were arriving.Washington said on Wednesday it had deployed 47 troops to South Sudan to protect U.S. citizens and the embassy in Juba.Kiir and Machar have long been political and military rivals. Kiir's decision to sack Machar in 2013 led to the civil war erupting a few months later. They signed a peace deal in August 2015 and then argued over details amid sporadic fighting.Machar finally returned to Juba and resumed old post as vice president in April. But other moves outlined in the peace deal, such as integrating their forces, have stalled. (Additional reporting by Elias Biryabarema and Reuters Television in Kampala and Duncan Miriri in Nairobi; Writing by Edmund Blair; Editing by Ralph Boulton)
Newer articles:
- Amid South Sudan evacuations, some locals turned back - 14/07/2016 16:20
- In South Sudan, bodies are being counted as peace accord appears to unravel - 14/07/2016 16:04
- Emergency Response in South Sudan - 14/07/2016 14:38
- Ugandan army enters S.Sudan to evacuate citzens - 14/07/2016 12:37
- Some South Sudanese citizens not being allowed to leave country - 14/07/2016 11:41
Older news items
- South Sudan Oil Hopes Thwarted Once Again by Civil War - 14/07/2016 09:49
- Getting out of South Sudan can be a harrowing journey - 14/07/2016 07:37
- Why is South Sudan being torn again by fighting? - 12/07/2016 13:42
- Ceasefire holding in South Sudan capital - 12/07/2016 05:01
- S. Sudan violence 'has displaced over 36,000 people since July 8' - 12/07/2016 05:01
Latest news items (all categories):
- The power struggles among South Sudan’s political leaders are the direct cause of its ongoing conflict - 11/07/2026 14:03
- Celebrating Independence In The Midst Of Sorrow - 11/07/2026 13:41
- South Sudan resumes oil-backed financing - 11/07/2026 13:33
- Press statement: Strive For National Unity In Honor Of South Sudan's Independence - 10/07/2026 21:23
- Fifteen years of independence for South Sudan, but still little to celebrate - 10/07/2026 21:23
Random articles (all categories):
- The Mind Of The Ruler - 03/05/2025 09:15
- South Sudan: Cardin Troubled By Deteriorating Security And Humanitarian Crisis In South Sudan - 26/07/2013 03:31
- In Photos: Second medical relief convoy to South Sudan arrives: Egypt health ministry - 16/02/2022 03:33
- Over 200 wounded in tribal clashes in South Sudan - 14/07/2013 09:16
- South Sudan: Athlete Trains for World Games in Doha - 26/09/2019 04:40
Popular articles:
- Who is the darkest person in the world, according to Guinness World Record? - 25/10/2022 02:34 - Read 147784 times
- School exam results in South Sudan show decline - 01/04/2012 17:58 - Read 27846 times
- Top 10 weakest currency exchange rates in Africa in 2023 - 19/07/2023 00:24 - Read 24937 times
- No oil in troubled waters - 25/03/2014 15:02 - Read 24256 times
- NDSU student from South Sudan receives scholarship - In-Forum - 29/09/2012 01:44 - Read 22170 times
