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South Sudan factional fighting leaves dozens dead South Sudan factional fighting leaves dozens dead
(about 3 hours later)
Two days of fighting between rival factions in South Sudan's army have left at least 59 people dead and more than 400 wounded, prompting warnings of a bloodbath in the world's youngest country. Two days of fighting between rival factions in South Sudan's army have left parts of the capital in ruins and prompted fears of a bloodbath in the world's youngest country.
What began on Sunday night as an alleged coup attempt threatens to open deep ethnic divisions in a nation awash with arms and still recovering from a devastating war that led to its secession in 2011 from the north. Street battles and clashes at an army barracks have left at least 59 people dead, more than 400 wounded - including some civilians - and resulted in more than 16,000 people seeking refuge at United Nations facilities. What began on Sunday night as an alleged coup attempt now threatens to unstitch deep ethnic divides in a nation awash with arms and still recovering from a devastating war that led to its secession in 2011 from the north.
Salva Kiir, the president of the two-and-a-half-year-old nation, has accused his sacked vice-president, Riek Machar, of an attempt to seize power and labelled him a "prophet of doom". Salva Kiir, the president of the two and half year old nation, has accused his sacked vice president, Riek Machar, of an attempt to seize power and labelled him a "prophet of doom". The whereabouts of Machar are unknown and his home in Juba has been bombarded by tanks.
Others have accused Kiir of manufacturing a coup plot to launch a crackdown against his opponents. Critics of the president, including at least seven former government ministers, have been rounded up in the past two days by security forces, prompting fears of a putsch. Most prominent critics of the president, including at least seven former government ministers, have been rounded up in the last two days by security forces.
Susan Page, the American ambassador to South Sudan, said by telephone from the capital, Juba: "The way they're going after searching for people is really causing fear." Susan Page, the US ambassador to South Sudan, said by telephone from Juba: "the way they're going after searching for people is really causing fear."
While shooting continued last night outside the US embassy, Page denied reports Machar had sought refuge inside. A dawn-to-dusk curfew has left many terrified residents in hiding, with witnesses describing blasts that "shook the earth" from several locations in the city. The United Nations Security Council was last night due to discuss the crisis as reports emerged of factional fighting in Pibor in the restive Jonglei state near the border with Ethiopia.
Thousands of desperate civilians have ignored security assurances from the government and crowded around two United Nations bases in the capital seeking the protection of a small peacekeeping force. Toby Lanzer, a senior UN official in Juba said 13,000 people had sought shelter in and outside the two bases. "Even if there's a political deal it will be very difficult to put the genie back in the bottle," said Casie Copeland, South Sudan analyst for the Brussels-based think-tank the International Crisis Group. "The impact of this fighting is going to shape the future of South Sudan."
Meanwhile, the capital's poorly equipped hospitals have been overrun by wounded soldiers and civilian casualties. Ajak Bullen, a doctor at Juba's military hospital, said the number of wounded had reached 400 as of Monday night, with at least 59 people dead. "We've lost quite a big number, especially soldiers and the problem is we have a lack of blood," he said. At the Juba teaching hospital, Dr Wani Mena said patients were arriving, including civilians, suffering from gunshot wounds. Thousands of desperate civilians have ignored security assurances from their government and crowded around two United Nations bases in the capital seeking the protection of a small peacekeeping force. Toby Lanzer, a senior United Nations official in Juba, said some "16,000 people and counting" have sought shelter in and around two bases.
Much of the focus on South Sudan's troubled first steps into nationhood has concentrated rows over oil and borders with rump Sudan. A dawn to dusk curfew has left many terrified residents in hiding with witnesses describing blasts that "shook the earth" from several locations in the city.
But unresolved grievances between the main southern communities, not least the decades-old political rivalry between Kiir and Machar, have festered behind the scenes of the Sudan's People's Liberation Movement, the guerrilla force that is now the ruling party. Meanwhile, the capital's poorly-equipped hospitals have been overrun by wounded soldiers and a trickle of civilians casualties. Ajak Bullen, a doctor at Juba's military hospital, said that the number of wounded had reached 400, with at least 59 people dead. "We've lost quite a big number, especially soldiers and the problem is we have a lack of blood. At another Juba hospital, Dr Wani Mena said patients were still arriving, including civilians, suffering from gunshot wounds.
The fighting began on Sunday night among the multi-ethnic presidential guard stationed at a barracks on the outskirts of Juba. Rumours that Machar, who is from the Nuer ethnic group, had been arrested appear to have sparked a confrontation with soldiers from the larger Dinka tribe, of which the president is a member. After initial clashes died down both sides rearmed and widespread fighting began again in the early hours of Monday with heavy weapons deployed. Much of the focus on South Sudan's troubled first steps into nationhood has concentrated on rows over oil and borders with rump Sudan. But unresolved grievances between the main southern communities, not least the decades' old political rivalry between Kiir and Machar have festered behind the scenes of the Sudan's People's Liberation Movement, the guerrilla force that is now the ruling party.
Tensions in the oil-producing nation have been dangerously high since the president sacked his cabinet in July in a move seen as an effort to pre-empt a political power grab by his deputy, Machar. The fighting began on Sunday night among the multi-ethnic presidential guard stationed at a barracks on the outskirts of Juba. Rumours that Machar, who hails from the Nuer ethnic group, had been arrested appear to have sparked a confrontation with soldiers from the larger Dinka tribe, of which the president, Kiir, is a member. Both sides rearmed and widespread fighting began again in the early hours of Monday with heavy weapons deployed.
Diplomats who have known the former guerrilla commander since the civil war years have described him as a changed man, who no longer reaches out to the foreign donors on which the impoverished country relies. Tensions in the oil-producing nation have been dangerously high since the president sacked his entire cabinet in July in a move seen as an effort to pre-empt a political power grab by his deputy.
"This is not the Salva Kiir we knew seven years ago," said one on condition of anonymity. Since the crisis began he has discarded his trademark American cowboy hat and appeared on national television in a military uniform vowing that the "forces of evil will not prevail". Diplomats who have known the former guerrilla commander since the civil war years say he has become increasingly authoritarian and no longer consults the foreign donors on which the impoverished country relies.
The fact that the fighting began because of paranoia and ethnic divisions in the presidential guard is a further sign of the deteriorating situation in a country where some of the smaller communities resent what they see as Dinka domination. People have taken to calling the government the "Dinkocracy". Were similar grievances to spread to the rest of the country it is feared mayhem would follow. Thousands of civilians have already been massacred in the last two years in restive Jonglei state near the border with Ethiopia in disputes over cattle and land between two rival tribes. "This is not the Salva Kiir we knew seven years ago," said one diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity. Since the crisis began he has discarded his trademark American cowboy hat and appeared on national television in a military uniform.
"This was a very bold move by Kiir. He is doing everything he can to suppress Machar," said a security expert with close links to the military wing of the SPLM. "He is hell-bent on control." The fact that the fighting began because of paranoia and ethnic divisions in the presidential guard is a further sign of the deteriorating situation in a country where some of the smaller communities resent what they see as Dinka domination, or a "Dinkocracy". The presidential guard, which until recently was hailed as a big step in integration, has come apart at the seams. Were similar grievances to come violently to the surface in the rest of the country then mayhem would follow.
The army, the SPLA, was drawn together after a peace deal with the north in 2005 from disparate groups, many of whom had fought on different sides in 20 years of shifting fronts.
"Forget about the politics," said a security expert with close links to the military, the SPLA. "It's all about the cohesion of the SPLA and it looks as if it's collapsing."
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