Americans told to be cautious ahead of South Sudan’s looming popular uprising

JUBA – The United States Embassy in South Sudan is appealing to its citizens to be cautious just one week before anti-government nation-wide protests, meant to depose President Salva Kiir and his first deputy Dr. Riek Machar Teny from power, commence.

The People’s Coalition for Civil Action has informed authorities in Juba, the ministry of interior in particular, that it is organizing a nation-wide protest in which they will ask for end of the leadership of President Kiir and First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar.

“Demonstrations are being organized to take place on or around August 30, 2021 throughout the country to protest against the government.  The demonstrations are not approved by the host government. All citizens should exercise caution and be aware of their surroundings, particularly around large crowds or gatherings,” the US embassy said in the statement seen by Sudans Post.

The US embassy statement further said the protests though could be peaceful from the start, may turn violent at some point as the government has not approved the demonstration and revealed that advise by the US government against travel to South Sudan remains as results of the rampant crimes and the coronavirus pandemic.

“Even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can become confrontational and possibly escalate into violence with little or no warning. The U.S. Embassy will continue to monitor the situation and will send an update if new information arises,” the statement added.

“As a reminder, the travel advisory for South Sudan is Level 4: Do Not Travel due to COVID-19, crime, kidnapping, and armed conflict,” the statement said.

It further added that “The U.S. government’s ability to provide emergency consular services to U.S. citizens in South Sudan is extremely limited. U.S. government personnel in South Sudan are under a strict curfew that limits movements to daylight hours.”