Violence in South Sudan: Norway Closes Embassy, Urges Citizens to Evacuate
Norway announced on Wednesday the temporary closure of its embassy in South Sudan due to security concerns and urged its citizens to leave the country, which has been experiencing armed clashes.
“The security situation in South Sudan has deteriorated significantly in recent times. While this primarily affects the civilian population, it also impacts the safety and freedom of movement of our personnel,” explained Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide in a statement.
“We have therefore decided to temporarily close the embassy in Juba until further notice,” the minister affirmed.
In a separate announcement released earlier, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs advised against traveling to South Sudan and urged Norwegian citizens currently in the country to evacuate.
Until further notice, the Norwegian embassy in Nairobi will manage diplomatic affairs related to South Sudan.
For several weeks, federal forces loyal to President Salva Kiir have been engaged in clashes with those supporting Vice President Riek Machar, despite a peace agreement that dates back to 2018. Given the ongoing violence, the country risks descending into a civil war reminiscent of the conflict that pitted Kiir against Machar, resulting in nearly 400,000 deaths and displacing 4 million people between 2013 and 2018.
