Violence: UN's Ban Ki Moon calls for sanction on South Sudan

In this photo taken Sunday, July 10, 2016, black smoke is seen rising above the capital Juba, in South Sudan.

South Sudan is the world's youngest country and were about to break out in a. war just hours before celebrating its 5th anniversary on July 7th.


At least 100 people were killed, including two United Nations peacekeepers.

The two peacekeepers who were killed in the latest round of violence were believed to be Chinese. One was killed while sitting in an armored personnel carrier that was trying to protect a displaced persons camp.

The fighting began on Thursday over something relatively small. A group of soldiers loyal to Mr. Kiir stopped a vehicle carrying a group of soldiers loyal to Mr. Machar, a senior United Nations official said.

An argument erupted over whether the vehicle could pass through a checkpoint, and guns were drawn. Shooting started, leading to rolling battles across Juba that continued through Monday.

Foreign governments scrambled to get their citizens out and worries grew about the fate of civilians trapped in crowded internally displaced persons camps.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Monday urged the Security Council to impose an arms embargo and targeted sanctions on South Sudan, as violence has resumed.

“Today, I urge the [Security] Council to take action on three fronts,” Ban told reporters at a hastily called news conference. “First, impose an immediate arms embargo on South Sudan. Second, enact additional targeted sanctions on leaders and commanders blocking the implementation of the [peace] agreement. Third, fortify the U.N. Mission in South Sudan — UNMISS.”

He said the mission is in desperate need of attack helicopters and other material in order to be able to protect civilians.


Violence in the 5-year-old nation resumed on Thursday, after forces affiliated with President Salva Kiir and first Vice President Riek Machar engaged in a deadly clash at a checkpoint in the capital, Juba.

Many have tried to seek safety at U.N. compounds in the capital, but even those facilities are not safe — small arms and heavy weapons fire have hit both U.N. compounds in Juba. UNMISS said on Monday that 67 people were injured in and around protection sites and eight of them later died.

Each side has been blamed for widespread atrocities against civilians.

“In the last 2 hrs, we went through heavy bombardments by Pres Kiir helicopters,” Mr. Machar wrote on Twitter on Monday. “This tells that our partner is not interested in peace.”

More than 10,000 people may have been displaced by the latest fighting, the United Nations said, adding to the 30,000 people or so who fled their homes during previous rounds of violence in Juba. On Monday, the maternity wing of a hospital run by the International Medical Corps was hit by shelling, the group said in a statement, adding that it had treated 139 people since July 8 for injuries inside what is supposed to be a protected area.


The displaced persons camps are considered to be in danger.
The United States Embassy posted on its Facebook page: “The situation in Juba has significantly deteriorated. There is serious ongoing fighting between government and opposition forces, including near the airport, Unmiss locations, Jebel and elsewhere throughout Juba.” (Unmiss is the acronym for the United Nations Mission in South Sudan.)

In several past emergencies, United Nations peacekeepers in South Sudan have been outnumbered and did not stop massacres.
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South Sudanese soldiers have not been paid for months, United Nations officials said, and Juba residents said many shops had been looted over the weekend.

South Sudan’s economy depends on oil, and the combination of low global oil prices and damaged oil wells because of clashes has nearly bankrupted the government.