US orders its non-emergency personnel to leave South Sudan

The United States has ordered the departure of non-emergency government personnel from South Sudan due to escalating security concerns, the State Department announced on Sunday.

The department cited ongoing armed conflict involving various political and ethnic groups, with weapons widely available among the population.

The United Nations human rights agency also expressed concern over the growing violence and political tensions, which are threatening the fragile peace process. Earlier this month, security forces loyal to President Salva Kiir detained two ministers and several high-ranking military officials aligned with opposition leader Riek Machar.

These arrests have raised concerns about the stability of the 2018 peace agreement that ended a five-year civil war, which claimed nearly 400,000 lives.

The State Department noted that violent crimes, including carjackings, shootings, ambushes, assaults, robberies, and kidnappings, are widespread in South Sudan, including in the capital, Juba. The situation remains particularly hazardous for journalists and U.S. government personnel, who are subject to a strict curfew and must travel in armored vehicles for nearly all movements.

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