South Sudanese flee fighting
Since fighting broke out in South Sudan’s capital of Juba earlier this month, tens of thousands of citizens have sought refuge in UN compounds. The UN has voted to almost double the number of its peacekeepers.
Situation in South Sudan is worsening
Since fighting broke out in South Sudan’s capital of Juba two weeks ago (15.12.2013,) tens of thousands of citizens have sought refuge in UN compounds, such as the United Nations base near Juba international airport, pictured above. According to the UN, thousands of people have already been killed in the conflict.
The political catalyst
On 15.12.2013 South Sudanese President Salva Kiir (right) announced that disgruntled soldiers from the military had attempted to overthrow the government. Kiir said the attack was led by soldiers loyal to former vice-president Riek Machar (left), who was fired from his post in July. This provoked ongoing clashes between Kiir's Dinka tribe and Machar's Nuer group.
Tribal fighting spreads
Clashes between rival groups of soldiers in the capital of Juba have now spread across the country. In this picture, a man from the Dinka tribe holds his AK47 rifle in front of cows in a Dinka cattle-herders camp near Rumbek in central South Sudan. Since the world’s newest nation gained independence in July 2011, ethnic violence has been a constant.
Wounded civilians seek refuge
The victims of the clashes between Kiir's Dinka tribe and Machar's Nuer group are mainly South Sudanese citizens, many of whom are now seeking refuge in UN compounds. Here, a man with a gunshot wound to the leg has found shelter in a tent inside the Tomping United Nations base near Juba international airport.
12,000 refugees in one day
Every second new displaced families are arriving at the Tomping United Nations base near Juba airport. On 24.12.2013, for example, some 12,000 people from the Nuer tribe sought refuge here.
The South Sudanese are scared
Violence against the civilan population is escalating. According to the UN there have been mass executions and random arrests throughout the past week. In this picture an internally-displaced man holds his son inside a United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) compound in Juba.
Overcrowded camps
With more and more internally-displaced people flocking to the UN compounds, the situation in the camps is becoming increasingly challenging.
UN to send more peacekeepers
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has described the situation as a "political crisis," saying it "urgently needs to be dealt with through political dialog." The UN Security Council has now voted to almost double the number of peacekeeping troops in the country: An additional 5,500 UN peacekeepers and some 400 police officers are being sent to South Sudan to protect civilians.
Evacuation time
Countries including China, Germany, Britain and the United States began evacuating foreign staff in South Sudan on Friday (20.12.2013). In the picture above, Kenyan nationals are being evacuated from Juba by the Kenyan Air Force.