Vatican Radio reports:
At least nine people were killed in South Sudan over the weekend in renewed clashes between troops loyal to President Salva Kiir and those of his longtime rival Riek Machar, a spokesman for Machar said on Monday. Machar returned to the capital Juba in April after a shaky peace deal but left again last month when new clashes broke out.
Kiir replaced Machar as vice president last week with Taban Deng Gai, after Machar ignored Kiir’s request to return to Juba, further deepening a split in Machar’s SPLM-IO party.
Nyarji Jermlili Roman, the deputy spokesman for Machar, said the nine died on Sunday when they ambushed a vehicle carrying government troops in Lainya county in Central Equatorial state. Nothing has been heard from Machar since and Kiir replaced him as vice president.
The United States said over the weekend it had received «disturbing reports» of renewed violence in the south of the country and the United Nations is considering imposing an arms embargo.
