Eritrea Embassy in South Sudan evacuates 130 citizens from Malakal

SPLA Soldiers - Credit: Goran Tomasevic/Reuters

Eritrea Embassy in South Sudan evacuates 130 citizens from Malakal


Eritrea Embassy in South Sudan evacuates 130 citizens from Malakal, Upper Nile State, and is discussing its next moves with community representatives, a senior official tweeted..

Since the conflict erupted, the embassy has been providing transportation, accommodation, food, and medical care for its citizens, the official added.

On Sunday gunshots rang out in the capital, Juba, for about an hour amid growing tensions among the Dinka and Nuer communities.

"I saw a truck full of soldiers going along the Bilpam road. They were singing. About 20 minutes later the shooting started and people started running towards town," said Animu Afekuru, who lives in Juba.

Representatives of South Sudan's government and rebel forces held peace talks Friday in neighboring Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, home of the African Union.

South Sudan President Salva Kiir and the rebel leader, former Vice President Riek Machar, are under pressure from the international community to reach a deal to end clashes that have killed more than 1,000 people and displaced about 200,000.

But their first attempt to halt the escalating violence stalled over the release of jailed former ministers.

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