JUBA, South Sudan -Al-Yurae-(News Agences) — South Sudan’s defense minister warned that White Army militia members will be disarmed unless they surrender their weapons and return to their villages, following recent clashes in Nasir near the Ethiopian border.
White Army fighters from the Nuer tribe loyal to Vice President Riek Machar killed Maj. Gen. David Majur, commander of Nasir county in northeastern South Sudan near the borders with Ethiopia and Sudan.
The minister accused Machar of leading the Nuer White Army militia, which he described as terrorist, and urged the international community to support the country’s fight against what he called White Army terrorism.
Meanwhile, the South Sudan government held a funeral for Maj. Gen. Majur, who joined the SPLM in the 1990s.
Riak Gai Kok, governor of Jonglei state, said, “The Nasir incident clearly showed us that the SPLA’s mission to protect our sovereignty was not respected in the peace agreement. It showed us we don’t just have two governments, but two sovereignties and leaderships in this country.”
Majur’s killing and the government’s decision to restrict Machar’s movement and arrest his loyalists have renewed fears of war among South Sudanese. About 600,000 people died in the previous war between President Salva Kiir Mayardit and Machar.
The ongoing war in Sudan has affected South Sudan, halting oil exports through the north and causing severe economic repercussions for the population. The South Sudanese currency has plummeted to unprecedented levels due to depleted dollar reserves.
About 100,000 government employees are still waiting for 11 months of salary arrears.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock announced the closure of her country’s embassy in South Sudan due to recent security tensions. She said South Sudan is on the brink of civil war after years of fragile peace.
U.N. peacekeeping chief in South Sudan Nicholas Haysom expressed concern about the country’s proximity to returning to civil war.
The crisis in South Sudan reignited due to clashes between government forces and White Army militias loyal to the vice president in Nasir, Upper Nile State.
The U.N. refugee coordinator Anita Kiki said the conflict around Nasir has displaced 50,000 people, with over 10,000 fleeing to neighboring Ethiopia.
The U.N. warned that the current conflict in South Sudan could turn into an ethnically-driven war due to the spread of hate speech among warring parties.
