Around 600 detainees escaped from a military detention facility in South Sudan’s capital, Juba, following violent protests sparked by the killing of South Sudanese nationals in neighboring Sudan, police reported Wednesday.
According to police spokesperson Col. John Kassara Koang Nhial, the detainees had been arrested for participating in protests and looting businesses. Military police fired warning shots while pursuing the escapees, managing to recapture 410 of them. Authorities are continuing efforts to locate and apprehend the remaining escapees, as reported by local media.
The unrest erupted last week after graphic videos circulated on social media, showing South Sudanese nationals killed in Wad Madani, the capital of Sudan’s Al-Jazira state. The footage fueled anger among South Sudanese citizens, leading to retaliatory attacks on Sudanese nationals and businesses in South Sudan.
Police confirmed that 16 Sudanese nationals were killed during the protests, while numerous businesses were vandalized or looted. In response, the government imposed a nationwide curfew from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. local time to curb further violence.
So far, authorities have rescued 2,990 Sudanese nationals, who are now taking refuge at police stations across Juba for safety and protection.
South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has called for calm, urging citizens to avoid retaliatory violence and to halt any alleged atrocities against South Sudanese civilians in Sudan. He emphasized the importance of restraint to prevent further escalation of tensions between the two nations.