The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has evacuated injured civilians and non-essential staff from Bor to the nation’s capital, Juba, which is mostly peaceful.
UNMISS says there are about 15,000 people in Bor sheltering from deadly violence between groups loyal to the president, Salva Kiir, and groups loyal to the vice-president, Riek Machar, who was sacked in July following a power struggle.
Toby Lanzer, Deputy Special Representative to the Secretary-General (UNMISS) explained more about the situation: “The thing that we need most is that we need the people who are causing all of this to get everybody under control. There was a lot of looting, a lot of gunshots, a lot of dead bodies and very, very out of control youth. Heavily armed and that needs to be brought under control,” he said.
Bor, the capital of Jonglei, is said to be the scene of some of the fiercest clashes between factions.
Hundreds have been killed in the fighting. World leaders are concerned about all-out civil war in South Sudan, which has a history of ethnic violence and divided military loyalties.