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| South Sudan factional fighting leaves hundreds feared dead | South Sudan factional fighting leaves hundreds feared dead |
| (about 11 hours later) | |
| Two days of street battles between rival factions in South Sudan's army left parts of the capital in ruins and prompted fears of a bloodbath in the world's youngest country. | Two days of street battles between rival factions in South Sudan's army left parts of the capital in ruins and prompted fears of a bloodbath in the world's youngest country. |
| UN officials in New York said they had received reports from local sources indicating that between 400 and 500 people had been killed and up to 800 wounded. More than 16,000 people were seeking refuge at UN facilities. What began on Sunday night as an alleged coup attempt now threatens to widen deep ethnic divisions in a country awash with weapons and still recovering from a devastating war that led to its secession from the north in 2011. | UN officials in New York said they had received reports from local sources indicating that between 400 and 500 people had been killed and up to 800 wounded. More than 16,000 people were seeking refuge at UN facilities. What began on Sunday night as an alleged coup attempt now threatens to widen deep ethnic divisions in a country awash with weapons and still recovering from a devastating war that led to its secession from the north in 2011. |
| 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". | |
| But in an interview with the Paris-based Sudan Tribune website, Machar denied any attempt to topple the president. | |
| "What took place in Juba was a misunderstanding between presidential guards within their division, it was not a coup attempt," he said. | |
| "Kiir wanted to use the alleged coup attempt in order to get rid of us." | |
| 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. | 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 US ambassador to South Sudan, said by telephone from Juba: "the way they're going after searching for people is really causing fear". | |
| Later, the US state department said it was ordering all non-essential US officials to leave the country and suspending normal operations at the embassy in Juba because of the unrest. | Later, the US state department said it was ordering all non-essential US officials to leave the country and suspending normal operations at the embassy in Juba because of the unrest. |
| The United Nations Security Council was due to discuss the crisis on Tuesday night as reports emerged of factional fighting in Pibor in the restive Jonglei state near the border with Ethiopia. | The United Nations Security Council was due to discuss the crisis on Tuesday night as reports emerged of factional fighting in Pibor in the restive Jonglei state near the border with Ethiopia. |
| "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." | "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." |
| Thousands of desperate civilians have ignored security assurances from their government and crowded around two UN bases in the capital, seeking the protection of a small peacekeeping force. Toby Lanzer, a senior UN official in Juba, said some "16,000 people and counting" have sought shelter in and around two bases. | Thousands of desperate civilians have ignored security assurances from their government and crowded around two UN bases in the capital, seeking the protection of a small peacekeeping force. Toby Lanzer, a senior UN official in Juba, said some "16,000 people and counting" have sought shelter in and around two bases. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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 a lack of blood." | 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 a lack of blood." |
| At another Juba hospital, Dr Wani Mena said patients were still arriving, including civilians, suffering from gunshot wounds. | At another Juba hospital, Dr Wani Mena said patients were still arriving, including civilians, suffering from gunshot wounds. |
| Much of the focus on South Sudan's troubled first steps into nationhood has concentrated on rows over oil and borders with the rest of 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 People's Liberation Movement, the ex-guerrilla force that is now the ruling party. The fighting began on Sunday night among the multiethnic presidential guard stationed at a barracks on the outskirts of Juba. Rumours that Machar, from the Nuer ethnic group, had been arrested appear to have sparked a confrontation with soldiers from the larger Dinka tribe, of which Kiir, is a member. 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 the rest of 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 People's Liberation Movement, the ex-guerrilla force that is now the ruling party. The fighting began on Sunday night among the multiethnic presidential guard stationed at a barracks on the outskirts of Juba. Rumours that Machar, from the Nuer ethnic group, had been arrested appear to have sparked a confrontation with soldiers from the larger Dinka tribe, of which Kiir, is a member. Both sides rearmed and widespread fighting began again in the early hours of Monday with heavy weapons deployed. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| "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 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. |
| 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 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. | 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. "It's all about the cohesion of the SPLA and it looks as if it's collapsing." | "Forget about the politics," said a security expert with close links to the military. "It's all about the cohesion of the SPLA and it looks as if it's collapsing." |
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