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At slightest 14 soldiers were killed and respective others injured successful South Sudan aft a suspected “love triangle” quality led to a deadly shootout, the service said connected Wednesday.
A clash betwixt members of the Unified VIP Protection Force, which comprises authorities troops and absorption fighters, erupted connected Monday astatine a marketplace adjacent the oil-rich Abyei Box region, which straddles the borderline betwixt Sudan and South Sudan.
A fragile power-sharing woody betwixt President Salva Kiir and his long-time rival, Riek Machar, has been unravelling for months, threatening to instrumentality the young federation to a civilian warfare that near 400,000 dormant successful the 2010s.
Machar was indicted past period connected charges of murder, treason and crimes against humanity, and was stripped of his presumption arsenic archetypal vice president successful the unity government, further fuelling fears of renewed tensions.
According to South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) spokesperson Lul Ruai Koang, Monday’s quality began betwixt 2 officers, 1 pro-Machar and the different pro-Kiir.
“There are 2 conflicting accounts regarding the origin of the crisis: archetypal mentation says it was a purely idiosyncratic misunderstanding betwixt the 2 officers astatine a beverage spot and the different says it was a emotion triangle,” Koang told reporters during a property briefing astatine the service wide office successful the superior Juba.
“The 2 men reportedly quarrelled aft some were reported to beryllium romantically progressive with the aforesaid lady,” helium said.
The concern escalated erstwhile the Machar-aligned serviceman changeable his Kiir-aligned counterpart, prompting their respective bodyguards to unfastened fire.
Violence past erupted from the market, spreading to superior checkpoints and barracks, Koang said.
“A full of 14 servicemen were killed: six from the SPLA-IO (Machar’s party) and 8 from the SSPDF,” Koang confirmed.
One civilian was reportedly caught successful the crossfire, with their information yet to beryllium confirmed, portion 5 soldiers were injured and are receiving treatment.
Koang said the incidental was not “politically motivated” but confirmed that an probe has been launched.
The United Nations rights main warned past period that South Sudan is connected the brink of renewed war, arsenic astir 2,000 civilians person been killed successful surging unit this year.
South Sudan gained independency from Sudan successful 2011 but rapidly fell into a five-year civilian war.
A 2018 bid woody ended the fighting, but leaders person repeatedly failed to clasp elections oregon unify their equipped forces.
AFP
The station At slightest 14 soldiers killed successful South Sudan arsenic ‘love triangle’ turns bloody appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.
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