The South Sudanese police reported that 600 individuals, detained on charges of “violence and looting,” escaped from a military detention center in the capital, Juba.
Police spokesperson John Kassara Koang Nhial stated in a press release yesterday that 600 suspects fled the detention center in Juba and that 410 of them have been recaptured following operations.
Nhial added that the police fired warning shots into the air and are continuing efforts to locate and arrest the remaining escapees.
Unrest in the Country Since January 16
Since January 16, disturbances have been ongoing in the country, particularly in the capital, Juba, where shops owned by Sudanese nationals were looted and vandalized, resulting in the deaths of 16 individuals. Several Sudanese homes were also set on fire during the violence.
In response to these events, the South Sudanese government imposed a curfew on January 17, restricting movement nationwide between 6:00 PM and 6:00 AM.
The Sudanese army described the incidents in Wad Madani as isolated events and announced the launch of an investigation into the situation.
These developments have raised concerns about the safety of the hundreds of thousands of Sudanese refugees who fled the conflict and sought refuge in South Sudan.
South Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Sudanese Ambassador last week regarding the alleged incidents, while President Salva Kiir Mayardit called for calm and restraint.