Stirring Violence in South Sudan Indicates Reemergence of Civil War

Between Thursday evening of July 7th and Friday afternoon of July 8th, civil conflict again returned to Juba, South Sudan, where clashes between loyalists of President Salva Kiir and his Vice-President, Riek Machar, erupted into another violent sectarian struggle for power.

According to initial reports, soldiers at a checkpoint inside the country’s capital began firing at one another after a dispute broke out between soldiers of the two factions. At the outset of the conflict, five troops were killed, which quickly escalated into a much larger weekend conflict, with only a brief break during the engagement that came on Saturday, the national holiday meant to celebrate the country’s fifth year of independence from Sudan.

So far, reports place the death toll in the hundreds, with each faction blaming the other for the continuing rise in violence.

The current environment of Juba was described as war-like by several BBC witnesses who claimed to hear gunfire, explosions and possible artillery fire, while aid workers who spoke to the Guardian noted that military helicopters were seen swarming throughout the city’s skyline. Details on specific locations where fighting is prevalent remain limited; however, a Reuters witness noted that gunfire, shelling, and helicopter assaults came from the Gudele and Jebel suburbs of the capital city, which is located near a military barracks housing troops loyal to Machar.

A UN spokesperson said that due to the conflict, hundreds have sought shelter at nearby UN sites, leaving many streets and buildings vacant.

Since 2013, hostilities in South Sudan have culminated under the two leaders after the President claimed that Machar was attempting to overthrow him. In the wake of these claims, Kiir promptly arrested several of Machar’s cabinet members, while the supposed rebel fled Juba. In light of the arrests of his cadre, Machar formed the Sudanese People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO) which quickly seized control of towns throughout South Sudan.

During the conflict, Northern Sudan was known to have been to heavily influencing the fighting and civil war. Under the leadership of Omar al-Bashir, Sudan supplied Machar rebels with weapons as well as instigated the destruction of villages and crops in their neighboring country. And since peace discussions began, the North Sudanese government has been significantly involved in the cease-fire process and the recognition of the Machar political agenda.

Though a peace agreement was reached in late 2015, tensions between the two factions have remained evident, such as Machar return to the capital with a 1,300 strong protection force in April 2016.

In accordance with the treaty, these Machar loyalist troops, along with those heavily aligned with Kiir, were supposed to conduct joint patrols; however, the lack of trust between the two parties has hindered any such cooperation from occurring so far.

Due to the re-ignition of conflict in South Sudan, the United States has began to move all non-essential personnel from the capital city, while other countries have condemned the nature of the re-inspired conflict and are urging for peace. Presently, both faction leaders, Kiir and Machar, are discussing the conflict and claim to be making attempts at ending the violence.

Though Information Minister Michael Makeui told the BBC that the situation in the city was “under full control” and that civilians who fled should return back to their homes, many on the ground are continuing to report violence and mass migration out of the city. A military spokesperson for Vice-President Machar accused the President and Makeui of lying, referring back to some 10 hours worth of clashes between troops on Sunday July 10th.

Recently, the IMF reported that the country’s currency had depreciated by almost 90 percent since December of 2015, and was only likely to continue to depreciate with the rise in current South Sudanese violence.

One of the world’s newest countries is currently facing an all around crisis from the rapid unraveling of both its political and economic elements. These two factors appear extremely interwoven and can be similarly associated with the current famine and mass starvation throughout South Sudan. Sectarian violence between Kiir and Machar loyalists has caused international organizations and businesses to evacuate their workers despite the desperate need to aid the ailing country. With a mass exodus of local citizenry and foreign business, the already crippled economy is only likely to further decline, and lead way for continued political turmoil, and the possibility of a political vacuum that could be filled by enemies of the United States.