Sudanese newspapers are awash with the deteriorating situation in South Sudan, where hundreds were reported killed and thousands forced to leave the capital city, Juba and other major towns, urging the international community to intervene to avoid further escalation of violence.
The independent daily, Akhbar al Youm (Arabic for Today News) reported that, Juba has witnessed “a cautious calm”, but the victims of the fighting, the paper said are “in hundreds around the presidential palace in Juba.”
“This is a serious setback to the agreement the two sides reached and according to which the current government has been formed,” The daily Akhbar Alyoum said, urging South Sudanese to eschew violence.
“The South Sudanese leaders (are following African leaders example) of clicking to power,” said Mohamed A. Yagoub, the columnist for the daily Al Ahram (Arabic for the Pyramid), stating that, “the leaders should step down and leave the leadership to the young generation who are currently in exile in Australia, Europe and other African countries because they have not been contaminated with tribalism yet.”
“Now it is the result of misunderstanding between the body guards of President Salva Kiir and his deputy Riek Machar,” South Sudan’s foreign Minister, Deng Alor was quoted by Sudanese daily Al Jareeda.
The minister was also reported as saying that, a committee formed by the two sides would be meeting soon to settle the issue once and for all.
“The lack of implementing the agreement by the two sides is a vicious tribal warfare in South Sudan,” Abu Bakar Mukhtar of the daily Al Ahram (Arabic for the Pyramid) said on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the situation has prompted the US, the UN Secretary-General, the European Union (EU) to urge South Sudanese leaders to take immediate steps to reduce tensions and ensure peace, security and stability in the country.
