JUBA (Reuters) – Gunfire rang out again in South Sudan’s capital Juba late yesterday hours after President Salva Kiir said his forces had quelled an “attempted coup” by supporters of his sacked deputy.
Kiir earlier said fighters loyal to former vice president Riek Machar had attacked an army base into the early hours of yesterday morning, but the military was in control. He imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew.
After the streets emptied, and thousands of locals took refuge in UN compounds in Juba, diplomats and a UN official reported hearing fresh shooting from around 10 pm (1900 GMT) in the city’s Tomping neighbourhood.
“We too have heard the gunshots in Tomping. Really urging everyone to stay indoors and stay safe,” the US embassy in Juba said on its Twitter feed. Mobile phone networks were down across the capital.
