The United States has instructed its non-emergency government personnel to leave South Sudan due to escalating security concerns, the State Department confirmed on Sunday.
Ongoing armed conflict involving various political and ethnic factions has created a volatile environment, with weapons widely accessible to the population, the State Department explained.
The UN human rights office warned on Saturday that escalating violence and political instability in South Sudan are endangering the fragile peace process. Tensions further heightened earlier this month when security forces loyal to President Salva Kiir detained two ministers and several high-ranking military officers aligned with opposition leader Riek Machar.
These arrests have raised alarm about the stability of the 2018 peace agreement, which ended a devastating five-year civil war that claimed nearly 400,000 lives.
The State Department noted that violent crime, including carjackings, shootings, ambushes, assaults, robberies, and kidnappings, is widespread throughout South Sudan, including the capital, Juba. Journalists and U.S. government personnel face significant risks, with strict curfews and mandatory use of armored vehicles for almost all travel.
