South Sudanese authorities have imposed a countrywide dusk-to-dawn curfew after a night of violence during which businesses run by Sudanese traders in the capital were looted.
Police chief Gen. Abraham Manyuat said Friday that the curfew will commence from 6 p.m. local time to dawn to curb looting incidents reported in Juba and other major towns.
Businesses are now required to close by 5 p.m. as part of measures to enhance security. “We will protect all the markets,” said Manyuat, speaking on state-run television.
The violence targeting Sudanese nationals is believed to have been provoked by alleged killings of South Sudanese nationals by militia groups in remote parts of Sudan earlier this week.
Several stores in Juba and elsewhere remained closed Friday.
Speaking of the alleged targeting of South Sudanese people in areas such as the state of Gezira, a press secretary for the presidency urged restraint. “We mustn’t allow anger to cloud our judgment or turn against Sudanese traders and refugees currently residing in our country,” said Lily Adhieu Martin Manyiel.
Civil war in Sudan has created a widening famine and the world’s largest displacement crisis. Fighting between forces loyal to rival military leaders exploded in the capital, Khartoum, in April 2023 and spread to other areas.
The conflict has been marked by atrocities, including ethnically motivated killing and rape, according to the U.N. and rights groups.
UN urges for calm
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has appealed for the immediate restoration of calm following an eruption of violence that has resulted in the deaths of three people.
The violence that erupted Thursday night has resulted in an unverified number of casualties and looting of businesses in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, and other states.
“We urge all South Sudanese to continue to embrace this generous spirit of hospitality and work together to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all communities,” said the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of UNMISS Nicholas Haysom in a statement issued in Juba.
The violence has occurred in the aftermath of the alleged killings of South Sudanese nationals during the conflict in Wad Madani, El Jazirah State of Sudan, earlier this week.
The police said Friday that three persons were shot dead, and seven others wounded during the Thursday night riots which broke out in several suburbs of Juba.
John Kassara Koang Nhial, spokesperson of the South Sudan National Police Service, said the motive behind the demonstration in the two towns of Juba and Awiel was related to the killings of innocent South Sudanese citizens in Wad Madani, by the Sudan Armed Forces.
Kassara said the police managed to rescue 45 Sudanese traders in Juba who are now secure in the police premises.
The killings, captured on camera after the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) took control of Wad Medani from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on January 11, sparked violent protests in neighbourhoods in Juba and other locations, Xinhua news agency reported.
Haysom said South Sudan has provided much-needed protection and support to hundreds of thousands of refugees and returnees who have fled the conflict in Sudan since it began in April 2023.
“UNMISS urges social media users to refrain from spreading misinformation, disinformation and hate speech which is stoking tensions and inciting violence,” he added.
Sudan’s Omdurman city faces drinking water crisis
Omdurman city, north of the Sudanese capital Khartoum, has been facing a significant drinking water crisis over the past five days due to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) attack on the Merowe Dam in Northern State, local authorities said.
“Due to the complete interruption of electricity supply, a water crisis occurred as the Nile stations and wells went out of service,” the Khartoum State government said in a statement on Saturday, attributing the power outage and water shortage to the RSF drone attack on the Merowe Dam, a hydroelectric dam on the Nile River.
“We are making intensive efforts to implement some urgent solutions to address the drinking water crisis,” it added.
The Merowe Dam, located about 350 km north of Khartoum, is one of the largest hydropower projects in Africa.
Governor of Khartoum State, Ahmed Osman Hamza, inspected a number of wells in the western districts of Al-Thawra neighbourhood, checking the operation of wells with generators, the state’s media office said Saturday.
It noted that the governor has instructed authorities to supply citizens with water from the Al-Manara water station’s reserve.
Meanwhile, Khartoum State Water Corporation said its engineers were working on implementing emergency measures to operate the water wells and restore water flow into the national network.
It revealed that 15 wells have been activated in several neighbourhoods, which has significantly contributed to providing water supply to some areas.
Omdurman, Sudan’s second most populous city, has seen a surge in population after it became one of the safest areas in the state, prompting thousands of displaced people to move to the city. Amid the severe water shortage, residents have to stand in long queues to obtain water from old wells or water trucks.
Sudan has been gripped by a devastating conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF since mid-April 2023, which claimed at least 29,683 lives and displaced nearly 15 million people, either inside or outside Sudan, according to the latest estimates by international organisations.
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