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| U.S. Orders Evacuation of Staff From Embassy in South Sudan | U.S. Orders Evacuation of Staff From Embassy in South Sudan |
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| The United States on Friday ordered a further reduction of American Embassy staff in strife-torn South Sudan and said it would cease to provide consular services for its citizens as of Saturday, apparently reflecting a somber assessment of the country’s prospects even as the country’s warring factions were reported to have opened preliminary indirect talks in neighboring Ethiopia. | |
| A travel advisory on the website of the State Department said that Washington “ordered a further drawdown of U.S. Embassy personnel because of the deteriorating security situation” in South Sudan, which has been seized with conflict between its main political factions since December. | A travel advisory on the website of the State Department said that Washington “ordered a further drawdown of U.S. Embassy personnel because of the deteriorating security situation” in South Sudan, which has been seized with conflict between its main political factions since December. |
| “We continue to urge U.S. citizens in South Sudan to depart the country,” the message said, offering an evacuation flight on Friday “to the nearest safe haven country” on a “first-come, first-served basis.” | “We continue to urge U.S. citizens in South Sudan to depart the country,” the message said, offering an evacuation flight on Friday “to the nearest safe haven country” on a “first-come, first-served basis.” |
| “The U.S. Embassy will no longer be able to provide any consular services to U.S. citizens in the Republic of South Sudan as of January 4, 2014,” the message said. | “The U.S. Embassy will no longer be able to provide any consular services to U.S. citizens in the Republic of South Sudan as of January 4, 2014,” the message said. |
| The United States began evacuating American citizens from its embassy in Juba, the capital, and from other parts of the country as the fighting spread in December. Washington sent 45 American soldiers to protect the embassy, and evacuation flights ferried hundreds of embassy personnel, other Americans and some citizens of other countries out of South Sudan.. | The United States began evacuating American citizens from its embassy in Juba, the capital, and from other parts of the country as the fighting spread in December. Washington sent 45 American soldiers to protect the embassy, and evacuation flights ferried hundreds of embassy personnel, other Americans and some citizens of other countries out of South Sudan.. |
| The travel advisory on Friday did not go into detail about the numbers of American Embassy personnel to be withdrawn from Juba. But the American ambassador, Susan D. Page, told Reuters: “We are not suspending our operations. We are just minimizing our presence.” | The travel advisory on Friday did not go into detail about the numbers of American Embassy personnel to be withdrawn from Juba. But the American ambassador, Susan D. Page, told Reuters: “We are not suspending our operations. We are just minimizing our presence.” |
| After three weeks of fighting between forces loyal to the government of President Salva Kiir and rebels aligned with the former vice president, Riek Machar, efforts have been underway for days to convene peace talks in Ethiopia. | After three weeks of fighting between forces loyal to the government of President Salva Kiir and rebels aligned with the former vice president, Riek Machar, efforts have been underway for days to convene peace talks in Ethiopia. |
| The fighting has driven an estimated 180,000 people from their homes, forcing them to seek sanctuary at more than a dozen United Nations compounds across the country. | The fighting has driven an estimated 180,000 people from their homes, forcing them to seek sanctuary at more than a dozen United Nations compounds across the country. |
| News reports on Friday said that representatives of the government and the rebels met for the first time for what were described as preliminary talks in advance of formal negotiations. | News reports on Friday said that representatives of the government and the rebels met for the first time for what were described as preliminary talks in advance of formal negotiations. |
| Dina Mufti, a spokesman for the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry, and a rebel spokesman, Yohanis Musa Pouk, told reporters that the two sides were communicating through mediators rather than face to face, and that the discussions were aimed at smoothing differences before formal negotiations that are to begin on Saturday at Addis Ababa’s Sheraton Hotel. | |
| The discussions coincided with reports of continued fighting for Bor, the capital of Jonglei State, about 75 miles north of Juba, where the government said on Thursday it had sent reinforcements to pre-empt a rebel march on the capital. | The discussions coincided with reports of continued fighting for Bor, the capital of Jonglei State, about 75 miles north of Juba, where the government said on Thursday it had sent reinforcements to pre-empt a rebel march on the capital. |
| Each side claimed on Friday to be advancing toward the other. | Each side claimed on Friday to be advancing toward the other. |
| The fighting has revived memories of the civil war that endured for decades between the northern and southern parts of Sudan until a peace deal in 2005 paved the way for South Sudan’s independence in 2011. | The fighting has revived memories of the civil war that endured for decades between the northern and southern parts of Sudan until a peace deal in 2005 paved the way for South Sudan’s independence in 2011. |