Witness account of Juba fresh gunfire

After a silent Saturday night, the South Sudan capital, Juba has been put under security lockdown after fresh fighting broke out Sunday morning near the United Nations base and the opposition military base in Jebel.

A source within the UN base but not authorized to speak to the media told Daily Monitor that: “I’m near Machar’s military base and that is where heavy fighting is happening. I can hear bomb blasts outside. I was woken up by the gunshots and I’m now hiding in the bathroom.”
According to her, business has been paralysed with all shops being closed.
“It’s hard to find even airtime for the local telephone networks.”

She further noted that Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) have since fled their camps to seek refuge in the UN Compound.
Another source told Daily Monitor that a force loyal to President Salva Kiir attacked the opposition’s General Headquarters where their chief of general staff, General Simon Gatwech Dual, is based.

“I stay in Buluk just opposite State House but today, there is no fighting here. The fighting is near the UN base,” the source said.
In a telephone interview, Toko Paul, another Ugandan living in Juba said the situation is worsening.
“Three of us are trapped in the house and the soldiers are shooting near the gate. I pray they don't enter inside because if they do, it might be a bad day for us. Pray for us my dear friends. The situation is worse, most people have run away but we just couldn't run because of fear of stray bullets landing on us....,” he said.

According to him, the clashes started in Jebel near Rock city.
“...I heard that some civilians have perished in Jebel,” he added.
As the fighting goes on, major Juba streets and roads were disserted with most residents hiding in their homes.
Meanwhile, William Gatjiath Deng, a spokesman for Vice President Riek Machar's military faction is quoted in the media as having said, "Three helicopter gunships have just come now and bombed our side."