Bombing reported near Machar’s residence

Smoke rises from the area that was reportedly bombed.

The area of the residence of South Sudan’s first Vice President Riek Machar is reported to have been bombed by SPLA forces as fighting in Juba enters day two.  

Machar’s Press Secretary James Gadget Dak said on phone, “The area where Riek Machar’s residence is located has been bombed by President Kiir  forces this morning using helicopter gunships, but not his house.”

“Machar’s forces based just behind the hill in Jebel have repulsed government forces,” Gadget said, adding “The reports that he is at the US Embassy are false, Machar is still at his residence located on the hill side in Jebel Kujur  about 5km away from the main Juba town.” 

Gadget also said that the situation near the residence has calmed down after government forces were repulsed, but added that the fighting continues in other parts of the city. 

Dr Machar on his twitter account, @Drriekmachar, said: “I urge calm and restraint throughout these skirmishes. I am safe. No one should take laws in their own hands to destabilize this country.”

In another tweet, he said, “In the last 2 hrs, we went through heavy bombardments by Pres Kiir helicopters. This tells that our partner is not interested in peace.”

A third tweet said, “In all these, I’ve hope that we’ve a future as country. We came to Juba knowing that a country needs us. I have not lose that hope.”

According to a source based in Juba, more fighting resumed on Monday morning in Jebel, the same area where violence erupted on Sunday.  

“Today’s fighting started at about 8:40am from where it started yesterday at Jebel,” the source told the Daily Monitor.

He added: “It was somehow silent last night and we managed to sleep but as of now I can hear blasts near President Salva Kiir’s residence in Buluk.”

The Juba clashes, which  broke out on Friday last week, after skirmishes in Wau earlier in the week, have so far claimed over 270 lives.

Meanwhile, Ugandans and other foreigners trapped in Juba are counting on their governments to send evacuation teams, as violence stretches to neighbouring towns.

In a WhatsApp message sent this morning, Toko Paul, a Ugandan living in Juba said: “We have relocated because the fighting is heavy and they are bombing the sites of SPLA IO (Opposition) about 200 metres from where we are. Find out if Uganda government has plans of evacuating us. The border points are closed.”

Sunday’s fighting dominated areas of Jebel, Gudelle and Tongpiny where there are several government installations. Sporadic shootings were also reported near Juba International Airport and the Army Headquarters. Juba residents have moved to the relatively calm southern part across the bridge in Kator.

However, in an interview with the Daily Monitor yesterday, the Uganda army Spokesperson, Lt Paddy Ankunda said the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) was not going to deploy forces in South Sudan. 

The United Nations Security Council has resolved to send more peacekeeping troops to South Sudan and also condemned attacks on its Juba base.