Good People,

Regional Leaders of IGAD are united to DEFEAT Riek Machar for Political Differences about Democratic Principles for good governance.

Uganda’s Museveni is in Juba today and ORDERED that after 4 days they will go for Riek Machar to DEFEAT him for his stand on policy belief and because of unwavering support he is given by the people of South Sudan. This ilks Museveni and Riek Machar with their leadership in IGAD…..which is why IGAD cannot be trusted in matter of South Sudan.

WATCH THIS:

Uganda Army is already right inside South Sudan and are policing and causing insurgencies, terror and fear on the people of South Sudan.

QUOTE:

[Ugandan military spokesman Lt. Col. Paddy Ankunda insisted Monday that Ugandan forces are stationed only at the international airport in Juba and that their task is to "facilitate evacuation of civilians." But United Nations workers in Juba told The Associated Press that Ugandan troops have been guarding the only bridge that crosses the Nile River.]

Considering that, Museveni and Uganda Special Army frequently denied the fact that they are in South Sudan for insurgency and “Take-Over of South Sudan”………except to evacuate Uganda Citizen but ======the truth is that ======they are in South Sudan at the invitation request of Salva Kiir, RAISING question about their NEUTRALITY and their fairness of impartiality from being BIASED and TAKING SIDES with Salva Kiir in the QUEST for possible mediator in a conflict where there are CREDIBLE CAUSE for differences between Salva Kiir and Riek Machar.

Riek Machar instead called for a negotiated cease-fire that includes a way to monitor complianceBUT there is a feeling that, this is not what IGAD Leadership want...........THEIRS IS A CONSPIRACY FOR INVASION FOR TAKE OVERof South Sudan against the people's Public Demand for good Democratic Principles and the DEMAND FOR TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY how business should be run RESPONSIBLY for primarily the benefit of the People of South Sudan and being FAIR to their BUSINESS PARTNERS........That They are opposed to IRON FIST DICTATORSHIP………..

SEE QUOTE:

[Museveni and Kiir are strong allies. The Ugandan leader is believed to be concerned about the security implications for Uganda of a violent takeover of South Sudan's government.]

THE TRUTH THEREFORE IS: It is confirmed by Officials of the Government that,........Salva Kiir Lied about the Coup on Riek Machar:

SEE QUOTE:

Although Kiir insists the latest unrest was sparked by a coup mounted by soldiers loyal to Machar late Dec. 15, this account has been disputed by some officials with the ruling party who say violence broke out when presidential guards from Kiir's majority Dinka tribe tried to disarm guards from the Nuer ethnic group of Machar.

Therefore, Salva Kiir with IGAD leaders, AU and UN have no justification to their claims but their aim is to SUBDUE Salva Kiir in advance before ELECTION TIME........They are as well NOT Trustworthy to be TRUSTED with Peace Reconciliation of South Sudan........They are an INTERESTED PARTY AGAINST WHAT THE PEOPLE OF SOUTH SUDAN WANT..........They Must Be STOPPEDand be asked to keep their HANDS OFF from South Sudan AFFAIRSand that South Sudan people have a right to DETERMINE how they wish to be GOVERNED but not GOVERNMENT TAKE OVER BY THE CORPORATE SPECIAL BUSINESS INTEREST………...

THIS CONSPIRACY PROPAGANDA OF MUSEVENI AND SALVA WITH THEIR AGENTS IN THE NETWORK OF IGAD must be CONDEMNED by good people of the world ........and that People MUST stand their grounds and DEMONSTRATE against such insurgencies of DICTATORSHIP ..... but people must protect their INTERESTS by SPEAKING UP against INSURGENCIES AND INVASION MEANT TO STEAL AND GRAB LAND UNJUSTLY, ILLEGALLY, UNCONSTITUTIONALLY ...... DENYING SOUTH SUDAN THEIR HUMAN RIGHTS TO LIVE A RESPECTFUL, DIGNIFIED, HONORABLE AND VALUABLE livelihood and survival........IT IS UNACCEPTABLE PEOPLE !!!!!!

THE WORLD IS WATCHING PEOPLE.............................!!!!!

Judy Miriga
Diaspora Spokesperson
Executive Director
Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc.,
USA http://socioeconomicforum50.blogspot.com

 

=====================

Uganda warns South Sudan rebel leader

By JASON STRAZIUSO and RODNEY MUHUMUZA

Monday December 30th 2013======= 1 hour ago

JUBA, South Sudan (AP) — Uganda's president on Monday warned South Sudan's rebel leader against rejecting the government's offer of a cease-fire, saying regional leaders would unite to "defeat" the former vice president who is accused of mounting a failed coup in the world's newest country.

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• Uganda President threatens South Sudan rebel chief with 'defeat' if no ceasefire Reuters

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni told reporters in Juba, the South Sudan capital, that a regional bloc known as IGAD had given Riek Machar "four days to respond" to the cease-fire offer.

"If he doesn't we shall have to go for him, all of us," he said, referring to IGAD.

A meeting of East African leaders last week said it "welcomed the commitment" by South Sudan's government to cease hostilities against rebels and urged both sides to start peace talks by Tuesday.

Machar instead called for a negotiated cease-fire that includes a way to monitor compliance.

Violence since mid-December in South Sudan has displaced up to 180,000 people, the United Nations said Monday.

Uganda's influence is strong in South Sudan, where special forces from the neighboring country have been deployed at the request of South Sudan's President Salva Kiir, raising questions about the impartiality of Uganda as a possible mediator in a conflict that many fear could lead to civil war in the world's newest country.

View gallery

A United Nations armored vehicle passes displaced people walking towards the U.N. camp where they ha …

Museveni and Kiir are strong allies. The Ugandan leader is believed to be concerned about the security implications for Uganda of a violent takeover of South Sudan's government.

For years the brutal warlord Joseph Kony, who once operated in the expansive jungle that now falls within South Sudan's territory, was a source of tension between Uganda and Sudan. Sudan's government faced persistent allegations of supporting Kony's rebellion against Uganda's government. Kony was forced to flee, and is thought to have fled to Congo and then Central African Republic, as the south moved closer to independence from Sudan.

South Sudan peacefully broke away from Sudan in 2011 after a decades-long fight for independence, giving Uganda a new sense of border security. Uganda, one of the South's strongest supporters in its quest for independence, denies it has taken sides in South Sudan's latest conflict, saying its forces provided security as Western countries and others safely evacuated their citizens from South Sudan.

Ugandan military spokesman Lt. Col. Paddy Ankunda insisted Monday that Ugandan forces are stationed only at the international airport in Juba and that their task is to "facilitate evacuation of civilians." But United Nations workers in Juba told The Associated Press that Ugandan troops have been guarding the only bridge that crosses the Nile River.

Although Juba is now calm, unrest persists in other parts of the country.

Col. Philip Aguer, the South Sudanese military spokesman, said Monday that, although there was "no major fighting" over the weekend, tension remained because "Machar has not committed himself to a cease-fire. We've not seen one." Pro-Machar forces still control Bentiu, the capital of oil-producing Unity state, and renegade troops are poised to attack Bor, the contested capital of Jonglei state, according to Aguer.

"There's a force advancing toward Bor," he said.

Although Kiir insists the latest unrest was sparked by a coup mounted by soldiers loyal to Machar late Dec. 15, this account has been disputed by some officials with the ruling party who say violence broke out when presidential guards from Kiir's majority Dinka tribe tried to disarm guards from the Nuer ethnic group of Machar.

South Sudan has been plagued by ethnic tension and a power struggle within the ruling party that appears to have escalated after Kiir sacked Machar as his deputy earlier this year. Machar has criticized Kiir as a dictator and says he will contest the 2015 presidential election.

The U.N., South Sudan's government and other analysts say the dispute is political at its heart, but has since taken on ethnic overtones. The fighting has killed more than 1,000 people, according to the U.N.

___

Muhumuza reported from Kampala, Uganda. Associated Press reporter Elias Meseret in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, contributed to this report.

Good People,

Museveni must be stopped urgently and immediately from destroying the Great Lakes of East Africa. He has equally spread out his insurgency and terrorism committing genocide and atrocities in the South Sudan and he is the problem why tension is high and things are not working. He stole Migingo in Kenya and was the main financier of M23 insurgency and terror attacks in Congo a situation that has taken a different shift. The world must not let things fall apart before situation is put right by stopping Museveni from his conspiracies of crimes, violation and abuse of humanity Rights and as well destroying livelihood and survival of many. It is simply unacceptable.

The Great Lakes of East Africa has investments from different parts of the world and people will not sit as their interests are invaded and destroyed.

It is the reason why Museveni’s insurgencies and terror attacks with his network must be stoped before Civil War in East Africa spill over and spreads out to retaliation on his own Country and eventually spread out to the whole world and ignites the 3^rd world war as interests from different angles are beginning to mount and grow from all corners of the world……...

Judy Miriga
Diaspora Spokesperson
Executive Director
Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc.,
USA http://socioeconomicforum50.blogspot.com





===========================

Uganda President threatens South Sudan rebel chief with 'defeat' if no ceasefire

6 hours ago

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JUBA (Reuters) - Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni said on Monday East African countries would have to defeat South Sudan rebel leader Riek Machar if he rejected the Juba government's offer of a ceasefire.

"We (regional countries) gave Riek Machar four days to respond and if he doesn't we shall have to go for him, all of us, that is what we agreed in Nairobi," Museveni told reporters in the South Sudanese capital, Juba.

Asked what that meant, Museveni said: "to defeat him."

(Reporting by Carl Odera; Editing by Richard Lough and Patrick Graham)

========================

Uganda deploys troops to South Sudan amid unrest

By JASON STRAZIUSO and RODNEY MUHUMUZA3 hours ago

JUBA, South Sudan (AP) — Violence since mid-December in South Sudan has displaced up to 180,000 people, the United Nations said Monday, as regional leaders intensified efforts to bring South Sudan's president and his main political rival to the negotiating table.

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• Govt: 500 reported killed in South Sudan Associated Press

A meeting of East African leaders last week said it "welcomed the commitment" by South Sudan's government to cease hostilities against rebels, but hopes for a cease-fire.

Riek Machar, the fugitive former vice president who now commands renegade troops, instead called for a negotiated cease-fire that includes a way to monitor compliance.

Ethiopia's Foreign Ministry said Monday that a regional bloc known as IGAD has named a Kenyan and an Ethiopian as special envoys who will "spearhead mediation and broker peace" between South Sudan President Salva Kiir and the opposition, the ministry said in a statement. IGAD members must create an environment "conducive" for both sides to participate in direct talks, it said.

In Uganda, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry said Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni visited South Sudan Monday "in the spirit" of IGAD's diplomatic efforts to forge a political solution in South Sudan.

"The mood among regional leaders, and in Uganda, is that these guys must get to the table and talk," said Fred Opolot, talking about Kiir and Machar.

View gallery

Moveable stairs used for passengers to board aircraft are repurposed into makeshift shelters by the …

Uganda's influence is strong in South Sudan, where special forces from the neighboring country have been deployed at the request of Kiir, raising questions about the impartiality of Uganda as a possible mediator in a conflict that many fear could lead to civil war in the world's newest country.

Museveni and Kiir are strong allies. The Ugandan leader is believed to be concerned about the security implications for Uganda of a violent takeover of South Sudan's government.

For years the brutal warlord Joseph Kony, who once operated in the expansive jungle that now falls within South Sudan's territory, was a source of tension between Uganda and Sudan. Sudan's government faced persistent allegations of supporting Kony's rebellion against Uganda's government. Kony was forced to flee, and is thought to have fled to Congo and then Central African Republic, as the south moved closer to independence from Sudan.

South Sudan peacefully broke away from Sudan in 2011 after a decades-long fight for independence, giving Uganda a new sense of border security. Uganda, one of the south's strongest supporters in its quest for independence, denies it has taken sides in South Sudan's latest conflict, saying its forces provided security as Western countries and others safely evacuated their citizens from South Sudan.

Ugandan military spokesman Lt. Col. Paddy Ankunda insisted Monday that Ugandan forces are stationed only at the international airport in Juba, the South Sudan capital, and that their task is to "facilitate evacuation of civilians." But United Nations workers in Juba told The Associated Press that Ugandan troops have been guarding the only bridge that crosses the Nile River.

View gallery

A displaced child stands in front of the makeshift tents where she and others live next to shipping …

Although Juba is now calm, unrest persists in other parts of the country.

Col. Philip Aguer, the South Sudanese military spokesman, said Monday that, although there was "no major fighting" over the weekend, tension remained because "Machar has not committed himself to a cease-fire. We've not seen one." Pro-Machar forces still control Bentiu, the capital of oil-producing Unity state, and renegade troops are poised to attack Bor, the contested capital of Jonglei state, according to Aguer.

"There's a force advancing toward Bor," he said.

Although Kiir insists the latest unrest was sparked by a coup mounted by soldiers loyal to Machar late Dec. 15, this account has been disputed by some officials with the ruling party who say violence broke out when presidential guards from Kiir's majority Dinka tribe tried to disarm guards from the Nuer ethnic group of Machar.

South Sudan has been plagued by ethnic tension and a power struggle within the ruling party that appears to have escalated after Kiir sacked Machar as his deputy earlier this year. Machar has criticized Kiir as a dictator and says he will contest the 2015 presidential election.

The U.N., South Sudan's government and other analysts say the dispute is political at its heart, but has since taken on ethnic overtones. The fighting has killed more than 1,000 people, according to the U.N.

___

Muhumuza reported from Kampala, Uganda. Associated Press reporter Elias Meseret in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, contributed to this report.

======================

Uganda's Museveni threatens S. Sudan rebel leader with "defeat"

By Aaron Maasho and Carl Odera4 hours ago

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By Aaron Maasho and Carl Odera

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• S. Sudan: 25,000 strong 'White Army' returns home Associated Press

JUBA (Reuters) - Uganda's president said on Monday East African nations had agreed to unite to defeat South Sudanese rebel leader Riek Machar if he rejected a ceasefire offer, threatening to turn an outburst of ethnic fighting into a regional conflict.

Two weeks of clashes have already killed at least 1,000 people in the world's newest nation, rocked oil markets and raised fears of a civil war in a region ravaged by fighting in Central African Republic and Democratic Republic of Congo.

"We gave Riek Machar four days to respond (to the ceasefire offer) and if he doesn't we shall have to go for him, all of us. That is what we agreed in Nairobi," Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni told reporters in South Sudan's capital, Juba.

Asked what that meant, Museveni said: "to defeat him."

There was no immediate confirmation of the pact from other countries, including economic powerhouses Kenya and Ethiopia, who have been trying to mediate and last week gave the sides until December 31 to lay down their weapons.

The United Nations, Washington, and other Western countries who have poured millions of dollars of aid into South Sudan since it won its independence from Sudan in 2011, have also scrambled to stem the unrest.

Fighting between rival groups of soldiers erupted in the capital Juba on December 15, then triggered clashes in half of South Sudan's 10 states - often along ethnic lines, between Machar's group, the Nuer, and President Salva Kiir's Dinka.

Kiir, who sacked Machar in July, accused him of starting the fighting in a bid to seize power - a charge denied by Machar. He has since retreated into the bush and acknowledged he is leading rebel fighters.

The fighting, alongside unrest in Libya, has lifted oil prices, holding it above $112 a barrel on Monday. South Sudan has the third-largest oil reserves in sub-Saharan Africa after Angola and Nigeria, according to BP.

WHITE ARMY THREAT

Machar has responded coolly to the ceasefire offer and the army has said it has continued to fight his soldiers.

Thousands of people fled South Sudan's flashpoint town of Bor as the army warned of an imminent attack by the Nuer "White Army" militia on Monday, officials said.

The White Army - made up of Nuer youths who dust their bodies in white ash - has in the past sided with Machar.

But a spokesman for the government of South Sudan's Unity state, now controlled by forces loyal to Machar, on Sunday denied he was in control of the White Army fighters, raising the prospect that the violence was spreading beyond the control of widely-recognised ethnic leaders.

"The (White Army) are now not very far from Bor so an attack is imminent," Sudan army (SPLA) spokesman Philip Aguer said by phone from Juba, 190 km (120 miles) south of Bor by road.

Civilians had fled the town, crossing the White Nile river and heading for the swamps, Information Minister Michael Makuei told Reuters. Nuer militias massacred Dinkas in Bor during an outburst of ethnic fighting in 1991.

Bor's mayor, Nhial Majak Nhial, said he was urging civilians to escape Bor, the capital of Jonglei state, as the White Army militia neared.

"They have attacked the village of Mathiang (18 miles from Bor), killing civilians and burning civilian houses down. They are butchering civilians," Nhial told Reuters from Bor.

The reports of clashes and advances came from remote areas largely inaccessible to journalists and it was not possible to verify them independently.

SPLA spokesman Aguer said an SPLA reconnaissance unit clashed with White Army militia on Sunday night. Tribal elders over the weekend persuaded many of the Nuer youths to abandon their march, but officials said about 5,000 refused to turn back.

"People in Bor are scared," Makuei told Reuters. "Some of them have turned towards the swamps, and motorboats are crossing frequently to the other bank of the (White Nile) river.

Hello4 hours ago

Museveni is a war monger himself! He has been linked to wars in Rwanda, DRC, CAR, Somalia and now S. Sudan. Remember that came to power in 1986 through the burrow of the gun..after wedging a guerrilla war against an "elected" government of Obote. He has been clinging to power since then for the last 27 years, stealing votes along the way.

COMMENTS/OPINIONS

Odongo1 hour ago

Ugandan armies may create other new rebels groups to South Sudan because this is an opportunity for the president Museveni of Uganda and he has just been driven out from DR Congo in the name of M23 rebels and his UPDF may renter DR. Congo for second time. Right now the Uganda’s, presidential guards are operating in the Lira City of northern Uganda both day and night to oversee the situation in the region. The insecurity in South Sudan might lead to the death of people of northern Uganda which comprises of the Acholi, Langi, Iteso, Karamojong and west Nile people due to UPDF patrol at night. Presently the UPDF high command has order the local militia forces, for example the Amuka boys, Arrow boys of Teso subregion and other veterans who served in Obote 2 government which fought Joseph Kony and his Lord Resistance Rebels but they are not willing because some of them said that they are not spanners and toilet tissues. The UPDF fear Joseph Kony and his forces so much and if he comes back to Uganda this time, president Museveni of Uganda may go and many Ugandans does not want him in power now across the countries. Uganda must leave South Sudan alone.

Dr. Machar cannot be among the three snakes inside the house. The peace talk was organized by people who are completely condemned by the UNICC. The people who disowned Machar are the one on the chair to preside over his case and very impossible. Salva Kiir must leave power at will, if he want peace in South Sudan and he does remember that he came in power by accident, otherwise he would not have been their competly. Salva Kiir being so closed with Mr. president Museveni of Uganda has brought to him problems. I pray that the revolution in South Sudan will or shall open a way in East Africa. When you do bad things to people, people will one time do bad things on you and the reverse is true.

==========================

Gunmen attack state TV, airport in Democratic Republic of Congo

By Bienvenu Bakumanya5 hours ago

 

By Bienvenu Bakumanya

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• DR Congo security forces repel attacks, dozens dead AFP

KINSHASA (Reuters) - Gunmen attacked the airport and seized control of the state television headquarters in the capital of Democratic Republic of Congo on Monday in what appeared to be an attempt to seize power by supporters of religious leader Paul Joseph Mukungubila.

Police put a security cordon around the state television building where gunmen had taken several people hostage, journalists told Reuters. Witnesses also reported shooting at the Tshatshi military camp, close to the Defence Ministry.

Congo, a vast country at the heart of Africa, is struggling to emerge from decades of violence and instability, particularly in its mineral-rich east, in which millions of people have died, mostly from hunger and disease. The country is home to a 21,000-strong United Nations peacekeeping mission (MONUSCO).

Before transmission was shut down at state television, two gunmen appeared on camera to deliver what appeared to be a political message against President Joseph Kabila, who took office in 2001 after the assassination of his father Laurent.

"Gideon Mukungubila has come to free you from the slavery of the Rwandan," said the message, according to a Reuters reporter who saw a tape of the transmission. Gideon is the nickname used for Mukungubila by his followers.

Mukungubila, who calls himself 'The prophet of the Eternal', ran unsuccessfully for the presidency against Kabila in 2006.

He has been an outspoken critic of a peace deal signed this month with the Tutsi-led M23 rebel group in eastern Congo, accusing Kabila's government of bowing to Tutsi interests and pressure from neighbouring Rwanda.

Information Minister Lambert Mende said security forces had the situation under control.

"The attackers presented themselves as supporters of Mukungubila. We are checking because this could be an attempt to fool us," he told Reuters.

In central Kinshasa, the streets emptied and shopkeepers closed their shutters. A customs official at the international airport on the outskirts of Kinshasa reported heavy gunfire there just minutes after the attack on state television.

"Shooting has started here," the official told Reuters. "They are shooting everywhere. We are all hiding."

Uganda Increases Troop Presence along South Sudan Border

December 29, 2013

Press Release

Alliance for South Sudanese in Diaspora (ASSD) Condemns Ugandan Yoweri Museveni Involvement in South Sudanese internal Affairs

Alliance for South Sudanese in Diaspora (ASSD) condemns the Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni for his involvement in the internal South Sudanese Affairs. ASSD urge all Eastern African Countries to stay neutral without meddling in the South Sudanese internal affairs as this may complicate and widen this conflict to the entire region.

ASSD specifically urge Kenya and Ethiopia to stay neutral and not follow what Yoweri Museveni of Uganda is doing in South Sudan. We urge President Museveni to stop using latest weaponry to massacre innocent South Sudanese in the Greater Upper Nile Region and immediately stop aiding Kiir’s militants with air support.

We would like to ask the UN, United States of America, African Union, Canada, United Kingdom, and Norway to intervene and ask Uganda to leave South Sudanese alone.

The Alliance urge Ugandan forces in South Sudan’s soil to leave immediately and failure to do so constitute an invasion and meddling in South Sudan’s internal affairs.

For more information, please call us at +1(202) 709- or via email at southsudaneseindiasporaallianc@gmail.com

Department of Information and Public Affairs

Alliance for South Sudanese in Diaspora (ASSD)

Washington, DC, USA

+1(202) 709-7322

Southsudaneseindiasporaallianc@gmail.com

About the ASSD: ASSD is an umbrella organization for South Sudanese organizations and individuals championing the causes for freedom, democracy, human rights, governance and development in South Sudan.

South Sudan fighting intensifies

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsfC4smEv-E

Published on Dec 28, 2013

South Sudan fighting intensifies as regional leaders meet. CNN's Arwa Damon reports.

Fighting intensifies between rebels and government forces in Sudan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqWygC8tmvE

Published on Dec 20, 2013

For more on this and other stories please visit http://www.enca.com/
Fighting has intensified between rebels and government forces in Juba, South Sudan. There are fears that the country is sliding towards a civil war.

African leaders broker South Sudan government ceasefire - video

BANGLADESH ARMY UNIT in South Sudan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDsiEBJXSVU

Published on Dec 29, 2013

A delegation of African leaders who are trying to broker a peace deal in South Sudan, claim on Friday that South Sudanese president, Salva Kiir, has agreed to an immediate cessation of hostilities. The US envoy to South Sudan, Donald Booth, says the South Sudanese government will also release 11 politicians who were arrested after violence erupted on 15 December

=================

South Sudan on brink of civil war

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIWE5ajuy_o

Published on Dec 24, 2013

A former negotiator for South Sudan speaks with CNN about what must be done to avoid civil war.

Obama keeps eye on tense situation in South Sudan where Americans were fired upon

by Associated Press

A CV-22 Osprey aircraft of the 8th Special Operations Squadron (SOS) "Black Birds" comes in for a landing during a local training mission at Hurlburt Field, Florida in this 2011 file photo released by the U.S. Air Force.

Photo by Associated Press /Chattanooga Times Free Press.

HONOLULU — President Barack Obama said Saturday that continued violence and militancy in South Sudan would cost the world's newest country the support of the United States and other nations.

Obama said South Sudan's leaders have a responsibility to help protect Americans, who came under fire hours earlier during an evacuation attempt.

While vacationing in Hawaii, Obama spoke by telephone with national security aides, the White House said. He told his team to work with the U.N. to keep evacuating Americans from Bor, where some of South Sudan's worst violence over the last week has played out.

Among those briefing the president was his national security adviser, Susan Rice, who a day earlier recorded an audio message to South Sudan's leaders urging them not to allow the nation "to be torn apart by violence and suffering."

"This conflict can only be resolved peacefully through negotiations," the White House said in a statement Saturday. "Any effort to seize power through the use of military force will result in the end of longstanding support from the United States and the international community."

Secretary of State John Kerry called President Salva Kirr to urge the South Sudanese leader to avoid ethnic conflict, preserve the welfare of those fleeing the conflict and protect U.S. citizens there. Kerry was sending a special envoy to the region and told Kirr that South Sudan's challenges require leadership and political dialogue, the State Department said.

The U.S. has been working to evacuate American citizens and nonemergency government personnel from the African country, and last week shut down most embassy operations in the capital of Juba after what South Sudan's president described as an attempted coup.

On Saturday, gunfire hit three U.S. military aircraft trying to evacuate Americans in a remote region that has become a battle ground between the country's military and renegade troops, officials said. The three CV-22 Ospreys were about to land in Bor when they were hit and subsequently diverted to Entebbe, Uganda.

Four U.S. troops wounded in that incident are in stable condition, the White House said.

The violence has killed hundreds and has world leaders worried that a full-blown civil war could ignite in South Sudan. The South fought a decades-long war with Sudan before a 2005 peace deal resulted in a 2011 referendum that saw South Sudan break away from the North, taking most of the region's oil wealth with it.

In the call with U.S. officials, Obama directed his team to keep him abreast of developments in South Sudan. Even when on vacation, the president travels with senior-level national security aides who keep in close contact with Washington and brief him regularly on issues of concern.

"The president underscored the urgency of helping to support efforts to resolve the differences within South Sudan through dialogue," the White House said. "South Sudan's leaders must know that continued violence will endanger the people of South Sudan and the hard-earned progress of independence."

UN Concerned by Reports of 'White Army' Near S. Sudan Town

South Sudan army soldiers hold their weapons as they ride on a truck in Bor, Dec. 25, 2013.

VOA News

December 29, 2013

The United Nations says it is concerned by reports that thousands of armed youth loyal to former Vice President Riek Machar are preparing an attack on a South Sudan town.

A spokesman for the U.N. mission in South Sudan says a U.N. reconnaissance mission spotted a group of armed youths about 50 kilometers northeast of the central town of Bor. He says however that U.N. officials could not confirm how many people were in the group.

South Sudan's government claims that some 25,000 armed fighters from the Machar-backed force - the so called "White Army" - planned to attack the town, which was retaken by government forces this past week. The youth, like Machar, are ethnic Nuers while President Salva Kiir and his loyalists are ethnic Dinka.

Claims of the mobilization come as regional leaders attempt to broker a ceasefire.

The tribal violence erupted earlier this month, when the president accused Machar of attempting a coup.

The United Nations says the fighting has left more than 1,000 people dead and displaced tens of thousands.

A grouping of East Africa leaders announced Friday that South Sudan had agreed to a "cessation of hostilities" and the start of peace talks. The government also agreed to release eight of 11 political prisoners suspected of plotting the coup.

But Saturday, Machar ally Rebecca Nyandeng told VOA that Machar forces will not agree to cease-fire terms until the government releases all 11 prisoners.

Machar on Saturday stopped short of accepting the government offer. He told British radio the "mechanisms for monitoring" any agreement must first be established.

Dozens of troops dead in S Sudan

December 17 2013 at 03:56pm

AP

In this handout image provided by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, taken on December 17, 2013, a United Nation soldier stands guard as civilians arrive at the UNMISS compound adjacent to Juba International Airport to take refuge. Picture: UNMISS/Rolla Hinedi

Juba - At least 66 soldiers have been killed in battles raging for the past two days in the South Sudanese capital, a military hospital doctor said on Tuesday.

“So far we have lost seven soldiers who died while they were waiting for medical attention and a further 59 who were killed outside,” doctor Ajak Bullen said on Miraya FM radio, adding the men would be given a mass burial.

Another medical establishment, Juba Teaching Hospital, had earlier reported 26 dead, a mixture of civilians and military.

It was not clear whether there was any overlap between the figures.

South Sudan's hospitals, for a variety of logistical and cultural reasons, suffer from a shortage of blood, meaning that many patients in need of a transfusion die.

Military spokesman Philip Aguer declined to comment on the casualty figures, telling AFP only: “The soldiers are controlling the situation.”

Sapa-AFP

Kenya deploys troops to South Sudan

December 21 2013 at 03:52pm
By SAPA

REUTERS

SPLA soldiers stand in a vehicle in Juba. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

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• S Sudan on precipice of civil war - Obama
• Dozens of troops dead in S Sudan

Nairobi - Kenya said Saturday it will send troops to troubled South Sudan to evacuate some 1 600 citizens, with many trapped in the flashpoint rebel-held town of Bor.

President Uhuru Kenyatta has “ordered the KDF (Kenya Defence Force) to commence immediate evacuation of the 1,600 Kenyans stranded in South Sudan”, presidential spokesman Manoah Esipisu said in a statement.

Fighting broke out in South Sudan's capital Juba between army factions last Sunday, and it has since spread to other regions.

“Despite the relative calm in Juba, a number of other South Sudan towns have come under fire,” he added, saying that Kenyans “are mainly in the town of Bor”.

Others, in the towns of Rumbek, Ayod, and Panyabol “will also be airlifted to safety.”

Military flights of aid supplies to Juba began Saturday, Esipisu added.

“The president has also ordered the immediate delivery of food, water and medicine to South Sudan (to help) tackle the emergency,” he said.

“The delivery of these emergency supplies started this morning. Kenyan military aircraft are delivering consignments to South Sudan.”

Kenya, which hosted the long running peace talks that ended the 1983-2005 civil war in Sudan - and which paved the way for South Sudan's independence two years ago - is also supporting peace efforts to end this crisis.

Several nations have sent in emergency flights to evacuate citizens, while Uganda on Friday deployed troops to South Sudan, to boost security and help its people leave safely.

Sapa-AFP

Uganda Denies Troops Supporting South Sudan Leader

Internally displaced boys stand next to barbed wire inside a United Nations Missions in Sudan (UNMIS) compound in Juba December 19, 2013.

Clottey interview with Fred Opolot, Uganda foreign ministry spokesman

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Peter Clottey

Last updated on: December 22, 2013 1:10 PM

A spokesman for Uganda’s Foreign Ministry has denied reports that the government in Kampala sent troops from the Uganda People’s Defense Force (UPDF) to support South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir in the ongoing conflict in Africa’s newest nation.

Fred Opolot said the UPDF troops would this week attempt to rescue about 2,000 Ugandan citizens trapped in South Sudan. The conflict there between supporters of President Kiir and the former vice president, Riek Marcher has reportedly left more than 500 people killed, and has forced tens of thousands of people to flee from their homes.

“Our major concern is to ensure that [our citizens] are safe, and if not they are evacuated so that process is ongoing,” said Opolot. “Uganda People’s Defense Forces [are] in Juba to secure the airport, in order to ensure that the evacuation process goes very smoothly.”

The violence in South Sudan erupted after President Salva Kiir, a Dinka, accused former vice president Riek Machar, a Nuer, of attempting a coup. Machar, who is in hiding, denied the accusation.

Opolot rejected suspicions that President Yoweri Museveni supported South Sudan’s leader in the conflict.

“Those suspicions are completely unfounded,” said Opolot. “We have a lot of Ugandans in South Sudan and their security is of the most importance for us right now. It is our focus. So in as far as the UPDF is in South Sudan to prop up Salva Kiir, that is not true, and they are unfounded.”

Last week, President Barack Obama sent 45 U.S. service personnel to the region on a mission he said is aimed at protecting U.S. personnel and the U.S. embassy. In a White House statement issued during the weekend, President Obama stressed the importance of the U.S. evacuation mission and said South Sudan's leaders had a responsibility to assist U.S. efforts.

Opolot said the government in Kampala was ensuring that citizens trapped due to the conflict in neighboring South Sudan are safe and would evacuate those directly affected by the conflict.

He expressed concern about the safety of Ugandan citizens trapped in Jonglei state at the U.N. base where there have been reports of fierce fighting. Opolot said Uganda troops would this week attempt to evacuate citizens from the U.N. base.

“UPDF will attempt to make sure that they are rescued. But obviously, they have been facing some fire from the fighters there,” said the spokesman.

He said Uganda wanted to be part of the solution to help resolve the conflict in South Sudan.

“At the onset of these troubles, President Museveni did try to engage Salva Kiir,” said Opolot.

He said Uganda’s minister for international relations was part of the African Union-led delegation that held a series of meetings with both warring parties as part of an effort to resolve the conflict.

Uganda Sends Troops to Help Citizens in South Sudan

In this photo taken on Dec. 18, 2013, and released by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, civilians fleeing violence seek refuge at the UNMISS compound in Bor, capital of Jonglei state, in South Sudan.

Reuters

December 20, 2013

KAMPALA — Ugandan soldiers have flown to South Sudan to help evacuate their citizens, an army spokesman said on Friday, although two military sources said the troops would also help secure the capital, which lies about 75 km (50 miles) from Uganda's border.

Uganda has said it is worried by fighting that erupted this week and which threatens to plunge the new nation into an ethnic war.

Uganda backed the SPLM/SPLA insurgency led by Salva Kiir - now president of South Sudan - before it won independence in 2011.

Like other neighbors, Uganda hosted many refugees from the decades of civil war in pre-partition Sudan and worries about the two-year-old nation next door collapsing into chaos.

“We have military personnel in Juba but they are there strictly to help rescue and evacuate stranded Ugandans, some of whom are injured, and our personnel are there at the request of South Sudan government,” army spokesman Paddy Ankunda said.

“We're not involved in any military activity there.”

He denied a report in a state-owned newspaper that the troops would also help secure Juba. But two military sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Reuters securing the capital would be part of the mission.

“Some troops from Special Forces Command - I can estimate in hundreds - left for Juba yesterday,” said a source in the Special Forces Command, a unit led by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni's son.

“They will mainly be involved in securing the capital,” he said, adding that some had gone by plane while others were expected to travel by road.

“They're not going to participate in the skirmishes between Kiir and Machar,” he said, referring to South Sudan's former vice president Riek Machar.

Kiir, from the dominant Dinka ethnic group, has accused Machar, a Nuer, of attempting to stage a coup. The two ethnic groups have clashed in the past.

Uganda's minister of state for international affairs, Okello Henry Oryem, joined a mission of African ministers and other mediators who held talks with Kiir in Juba on Friday to try to broker peace.

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News / Africa

Uganda Increases Troop Presence along South Sudan Border

In this handout image provided by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, Dec. 17, 2013, a United Nation soldier stands guard as civilians arrive at the UNMISS compound adjacent to Juba International Airport to take refuge.

Peter Clottey

Last updated on: December 18, 2013 4:33 PM

Uganda has increased its troop presence along the border with South Sudan due to the deteriorating security situation there.

The violence has led to an upsurge in people trying to cross into Uganda says Lt Col Paddy Ankunda, spokesman for the Uganda People’s Defense Force (UPDF).

Uganda temporarily closed its border with South Sudan following the violence there, but has since re-opened the border allowing traffic to flow “smoothly” from South Sudan, according to Ankunda.

He says there has not been any incidence of violence along the border with South Sudan after Uganda ended its temporary closure.

Ankunda says soldiers from the national army have been put on alert to prevent individuals or groups who he says might want to take advantage of the security situation in South Sudan to create chaos in Uganda.

“Uganda soldiers are there to defend our borders. We’ve been there under the circumstances we are not taking anything for granted. We don’t want wrong characters crossing into our country and causing havoc,” said Ankunda. “We are alert and the soldiers are on standby, traffic is flowing, fortunately the borders were open today so we are managing the situation.”

Ankunda said the increased troop presence along the border will enable the army to monitor and conduct surveillance along the 435 kilometer-long border with South Sudan.

The U.N. estimates that up to 500 people have been killed in four days of fighting in South Sudan.

Ankunda says some foreign nationals fleeing the violence have crossed the border into Uganda.

“Over 400 Kenyan citizens have crossed into Uganda, and several Uganda citizens are coming back home as a result of the situation. We have increased the flow of people from South Sudan into our country. About 1,400 people crossed the border today. They used buses [and] they were received at the border and they are back to Kampala,” said Ankunda.

He says Uganda has assured its citizens that the army has secured the border with South Sudan and on standby to prevent any violence on Ugandan soil.

“We will ensure that our side of the border is secure. We are working together with our embassy in South Sudan to extract our people who are still holed up there,” said Ankunda.

Foreign affairs spokesman Fred Opolot was quoted by the Daily Monitor Newspaper as saying Uganda temporarily closed its embassy in South Sudan and ordered the staff to seek refuge at UN offices due to the violence.

“It’s increasingly becoming difficult to communicate with our staff who have been told to seek sanctuary at the UN base. Those in the outskirts have been told to stay indoors,” said Opolot.

Clottey interview with Lt. Col. Paddy Ankunda, Ugandan army spokesman