S. Sudan’s Kiir orders reduced deployments in Juba

July 11, 2016 (JUBA) – South Sudan’s president, Salva Kiir has instructed all his army’s commanding officers to immediately cease hostilities and reduce deployment of forces to essential and important installations and institutions in the country’s capital, Juba.

Kiir, in a decree issued Monday, directed all commanders deployed at checkpoints in Juba to reduce and limit checkpoints to only essential and important installations and institutions.

The same directive also called for the protection of surrendering fighters from the armed opposition forces and properties of members of civil population in Juba, which witnessed four days of violence.

“All commanders of these forces are here directed to cease any hostility and abide by this order, control their forces and protect civil population and their properties,” party reads the president’s decree.

It further added, “All commanders are directed to control their forces and ensure protection of any ethnic group that may be targeted by some elements within their forces and any SPLA-IO [armed opposition forces] who surrenders to the SPLA be protected”.

Heavy fighting occurred between South Sudan rival forces in Juba town, including in close proximity to the United Nations compounds, with sustained impacts from small arms and heavy weapons fire.

According to the UN, approximately 1,000 internally displaced people were forced out of its protection of civilians’ site into the mission’s premises at Jebel, a Juba suburb.

The UN Security Council strongly condemned the outbreak of violence, calling on the warring factions to immediately cease military hostilities and end the violence clashes.

(ST)