The world’s newest country, South Sudan, seems to be on the brink of civil war, and thousands of refugees are crowding camps set up by the UN Peacekeeping Mission to South Sudan (UNMISS) looking for safety. Earlier this week, President Obama committed 45 U.S. troops “for the purpose of protecting U.S. citizens and property.”
https://twitter.com/AlexJamesFitz/status/413826911538642944
America’s U.N. ambassador, Samantha Power, weighed in on the turmoil Wednesday.
Deeply alarmed by recent bloodshed in #SouthSudan. Disturbing reports of hundreds killed and people being targeted based on ethnicity.
— Samantha Power (@AmbPower44) December 18, 2013
Political leaders must resolve divisions democratically–can't escalate situation. #SouthSudan has come too far to relapse into violence now.
— Samantha Power (@AmbPower44) December 18, 2013
U.N. bases have come under attack, and U.N. peacekeepers have been reported among those killed in the violence.
https://twitter.com/KvanOosterom/status/414135931210588160
Crisis in #SouthSudan: 34,000 civilians are now inside UN compounds in Juba, Bor and Bentiu, many of them #children. pic.twitter.com/dciaGNE2Rw
— UNICEF Africa (@UNICEFAfrica) December 20, 2013
In pictures: #SouthSudan unrest http://t.co/cewNj1ZC8j pic.twitter.com/APQr0EKEFx
— BBC News Africa (@BBCAfrica) December 18, 2013
Fighting continues to spread in #SouthSudan between the army & rebels as regional leaders try to 'mediate'. pic.twitter.com/XXR2GJiXxs
— BBC News Africa (@BBCAfrica) December 19, 2013
UN says a few thousand people with heavy weapons are gathering around #UNMISS base in Bor where 14,000 civilians are sheltering. #SouthSudan
— Marcelle Hopkins (@marcellehopkins) December 20, 2013
The remains of our two colleagues arrived in Juba for a memorial ceremony scheduled to be held tomorrow. #Southsudan pic.twitter.com/nj0OwjMFpC
— UNMISS (@unmissmedia) December 20, 2013
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South Sudan recently won independence from Sudan’s Muslim-dominated Khartoum regime. Juba is South Sudan’s capital.
Photo: US Marines evacuating US citizens from Juba. pic.twitter.com/pYBSXWreSd
— Mark Leon Goldberg (@MarkLGoldberg) December 19, 2013
Things are about to get really, really bad in South Sudan. http://t.co/Cpg6V4f8Pt
— Mark Leon Goldberg (@MarkLGoldberg) December 19, 2013
So many aid workers have fled South Sudan in the past 24 hours. A sign of horrible things to come.
— Mark Leon Goldberg (@MarkLGoldberg) December 19, 2013
This amazing photo shows foreign nationals packed in a plane to escape the country.
Photo taken inside plane evacuating foreign nationals from #Juba, South Sudan http://t.co/kGMp7SBMux pic.twitter.com/e5AIwnr6Hb
— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) December 20, 2013
https://twitter.com/rsmccain/status/413736999636316160
Editor’s note: Ambassador Samantha Power was mistakenly identified earlier as Susan Power. Twitchy regrets the error.
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