Several civilians, including a Chinese peacekeeper, have been killed in clashes that resumed on Sunday in South Sudan capital Juba, reported The Guardian. The Indian embassy in the African nation asked citizens from the country to stay calm and assured them of help after the violence escalated on Sunday. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj retweeted the embassy advisory on the same day.
More than 300 people have died so far in fighting between groups loyal to President Salva Kiir and others supporting Vice-President Riek Machar, despite a deal signed between the two factions in August 2015. Even though both leaders had appealed for peace on Friday after two days of violence, the groups clashed again on Sunday.
On Sunday, the United States called back all non-essential personnel from the country, which celebrated its fifth anniversary of independence from Sudan a day before. US State Department spokesperson John Kirby put out a statement saying the country strongly condemns Sunday's violence.
After a meeting convened by the United Nations Security Council on Sunday to discuss the deteriorating situation in the African nation, Britain’s deputy permanent representative, Peter Wilson, said it was essential to “unequivocally condemn the violence happening in Juba and ensure the UN mission has the strong backing of the security council [and] make sure that we are working very closely with the region to make sure the violence stops.”
France's ambassador to the UN, Francois Delattre, said, “We are extremely worried about the situation ... it is a result of a lack of political will on the side of the parties ... The key word is pressure, to urge the parties to take their responsibilities.”
Earlier, reacting to the unrest in the country which looks like in the brink of slipping back into another civil war unless the clashes are quelled, US Secretary General Ban Ki-moon had said, “This senseless violence is unacceptable and has the potential of reversing the progress made so far in the peace process.”
However, the government said they have managed to bring back order, reported BBC. "The situation is normal and it is under full control," said Information Minister Michael Makuei Lueth. According to the UN, around 1.69 million people have been displaced within the country, while at least 712,000 have gone off to neighbouring countries to avoid the fighting.
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