By Hou Akot Hou
The South Sudan army (SSPDF) Division 3 commander has cautioned locals in Northern Bahr El Ghazal State to refrain from traveling to neighboring Sudan amid escalating conflict between rival military factions.
Gen. Akuei Ajou Akuei, said that they have observed escalation in fighting which broke out last week between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) led by Gen. Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) under Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known as Hemedti.
“I am appealing to the people of Northern Bahr El Ghazal state who might be interested in travelling to Sudan not to attempt at this moment, wait until the situation improves in Khartoum, the fighting is still escalating,” Akuei told Juba Echo in an interview on Thursday in Aweil town.
Several people in Northern Bahr El Ghazal State travel to Sudan for trade and medical visits.
South Sudan shares the longest undemarcated border with Sudan.
Akuei said they are ready to accept Sudanese civilians fleeing from the war zone across the border. He said they have heightened security in border areas like Warguet, Jaac and Majok-Yithiou.
“We are attentive to get people fleeing the war, if people come to the border we are ready as army and government to welcome them,” he said.
The deadly fighting in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum erupted on Saturday last week, following disagreement between the rival generals on the timeline for integration of the paramilitary RSF into the national army.
About 300 people have been killed and more than 2,000 are injured in the unrest.
