UK govt warns Britons to leave South Sudan 'now'
Published: 04:03 PM,Mar 28,2025 | EDITED : 08:03 PM,Mar 28,2025
Members of Sudanese army walk next to destroyed planes' wreckages on the tarmac at Khartoum Airport, after the Sudanese army deepened its control over the capital Khartoum, from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), in Khartoum, Sudan. - Reuters
LONDON: British citizens 'should leave South Sudan now', UK Foreign Minister David Lammy has warned, with fears growing the country is tipping closer to civil war as a fragile peace deal unravels.
'My message to British nationals in South Sudan is clear. If you judge it is safe to do so -- leave now,' Lammy said on X late on Thursday, as the foreign ministry updated its travel warning for the country.
The message comes after Wednesday's arrest of First Vice-President Riek Machar, a long-time rival to President Salva Kiir, which observers warn could throw the country back into war.
A power-sharing deal between Kiir and Machar has been gradually unravelling, risking a return of the civil war that killed around 400,000 people between 2013 and 2018.
Lammy said: 'South Sudan's leaders must make efforts to de-escalate. A descent into violence and conflict is in no-one's interests.'
In its updated travel advice, the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said British nationals who chose to remain in the country did so 'at your own risk'.
'You should have a personal emergency plan that does not rely on the UK government,' it added, warning Britons they 'should not assume that the FCDO will be able to provide assistance... in the event of serious unrest'.
South Sudan -- which declared independence from Sudan in 2011 -- has remained plagued by poverty and insecurity since the 2018 peace deal.
Regional powers have scrambled to mediate in the latest crisis, with Kenyan President William Ruto posting that he had spoken to Kiir about Machar's arrest
Analysts say the ageing Kiir, 73, has been seeking to ensure his succession and sideline Machar politically for months through cabinet reshuffles.
More than 20 of Machar's political and military allies in the unity government and army have also been arrested since February, many held incommunicado.
Meanwhile, former Kenyan prime minister Raila Odinga arrived in South Sudan on Friday, his spokesman said, in a bid to mediate an end to a crisis after the arrest of the vice-president threatened a fragile peace accord between rival factions.
'He arrived today' in the capital Juba, spokesman Dennis Onyango said, amid international alarm following the arrest of First Vice-President Riek Machar, long-time rival to President Salva Kiir.
Machar's arrest late on Wednesday marked a dramatic escalation of tensions that have been building for weeks in the world's youngest country.
Kenyan President William Ruto announced on Thursday that he had spoken with his South Sudanese counterpart following the arrest and was sending an envoy to mediate.
Ruto, who is the current chairman of the eight-nation East African Community (EAC), said on X that he had consulted with the leaders of Uganda and Ethiopia and would send 'a special envoy... to engage, try de-escalate, and brief us back'.
Juba appeared calm on Friday with shops open and people on the streets, an AFP correspondent saw.
But a heavy military presence including a tank remained outside Machar's home, which is located just metres (yards) from the president's home. - AFP
'My message to British nationals in South Sudan is clear. If you judge it is safe to do so -- leave now,' Lammy said on X late on Thursday, as the foreign ministry updated its travel warning for the country.
The message comes after Wednesday's arrest of First Vice-President Riek Machar, a long-time rival to President Salva Kiir, which observers warn could throw the country back into war.
A power-sharing deal between Kiir and Machar has been gradually unravelling, risking a return of the civil war that killed around 400,000 people between 2013 and 2018.
Lammy said: 'South Sudan's leaders must make efforts to de-escalate. A descent into violence and conflict is in no-one's interests.'
In its updated travel advice, the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said British nationals who chose to remain in the country did so 'at your own risk'.
'You should have a personal emergency plan that does not rely on the UK government,' it added, warning Britons they 'should not assume that the FCDO will be able to provide assistance... in the event of serious unrest'.
South Sudan -- which declared independence from Sudan in 2011 -- has remained plagued by poverty and insecurity since the 2018 peace deal.
Regional powers have scrambled to mediate in the latest crisis, with Kenyan President William Ruto posting that he had spoken to Kiir about Machar's arrest
Analysts say the ageing Kiir, 73, has been seeking to ensure his succession and sideline Machar politically for months through cabinet reshuffles.
More than 20 of Machar's political and military allies in the unity government and army have also been arrested since February, many held incommunicado.
Meanwhile, former Kenyan prime minister Raila Odinga arrived in South Sudan on Friday, his spokesman said, in a bid to mediate an end to a crisis after the arrest of the vice-president threatened a fragile peace accord between rival factions.
'He arrived today' in the capital Juba, spokesman Dennis Onyango said, amid international alarm following the arrest of First Vice-President Riek Machar, long-time rival to President Salva Kiir.
Machar's arrest late on Wednesday marked a dramatic escalation of tensions that have been building for weeks in the world's youngest country.
Kenyan President William Ruto announced on Thursday that he had spoken with his South Sudanese counterpart following the arrest and was sending an envoy to mediate.
Ruto, who is the current chairman of the eight-nation East African Community (EAC), said on X that he had consulted with the leaders of Uganda and Ethiopia and would send 'a special envoy... to engage, try de-escalate, and brief us back'.
Juba appeared calm on Friday with shops open and people on the streets, an AFP correspondent saw.
But a heavy military presence including a tank remained outside Machar's home, which is located just metres (yards) from the president's home. - AFP