Protests broke out throughout South Sudan, with demonstrators targeting Sudanese-owned businesses in multiple cities, including the capital Juba, Tambura, and Atla’barra, following the killing of South Sudanese civilians by General al-Burhan’s forces (SAF) in Sudan’s Al-Jazeera state.
Protesters set fire to some stores and caused significant destruction, with reports indicating that Sudanese nationals were injured during the unrest.
In a separate incident, Sudanese diplomat Yahya Mohammed Osman Hashim was attacked by a group of South Sudanese nationals inside a hotel in Juba.
The South Sudanese government, through President Salva Kiir Mayardit’s office, issued a call for calm, urging the public to refrain from actions that could further escalate tensions between the two nations.
The presidential statement emphasized the government’s intention to take swift measures in response to the unrest. It also confirmed that diplomatic steps were being taken, including summoning Sudan’s ambassador to Juba to address the recent killings of South Sudanese citizens in Al-Jazeera state by General al-Burhan’s SAF.
Local sources reported that the protests were in direct response to the massacre of South Sudanese civilians in the village of Canabi, located in Sudan’s Al-Jazeera state, after SAF troops entered the area.
Accusations also linked the SAF to killings in Wad Medani, the capital of Al-Jazeera state, targeting South Sudanese nationals.
University students joined the protests, denouncing the violence against South Sudanese citizens in Sudan. Meanwhile, South Sudanese activists have launched a social media campaign demanding the closure of the Sudanese Embassy in Juba and have called for mass demonstrations next Friday.
Human rights groups have urged for de-escalation and for legal action to be taken against the SAF, calling for accountability in accordance with international law.
