Fresh gunfire rang out in South Sudan’s capital early on Tuesday, a day after the president announced he had put down a coup by a faction of the army supporting his former vice president, an AFP reporter said.
The gunfire – including the sporadic firing of heavy weapons – resumed in the early hours of Tuesday and was still audible at 9am (0600 GMT). It appeared to come from a military headquarters, a few kilometres from the centre of town.
The streets of the capital Juba in the world’s newest nation were deserted, with only military vehicles to be seen and civilians barricaded in their homes.
Soldiers loyal to Riek Machar, the former vice president, attempted to overthrow the government, President Salva Kiir said in a statement on Monday, adding that security forces had regained control, although a dawn-to-dusk curfew had been imposed.
The soldiers had attacked the South Sudanese military headquarters near Juba University late on Sunday, sparking sporadic clashes that continued on Monday, the president said.
“The attackers went and [the] armed forces are pursuing them,” Kiir added.
“I promise you today that justice will prevail.”
Details of the attempted coup remained sketchy, but South Sudan’s Foreign Minister Barnaba Marial Benjamin told the Associated Press news agency that troops in the main army base raided a weapons store in Juba but were repulsed.
Some politicians had since been arrested, he said, but could not confirm if Machar – who he said led the attempted coup – was among them. Benjamin said the coup was plotted by “disgruntled” soldiers and politicians led by Machar.
Agencies
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