Nationwide curfew in South Sudan after riots target Sudanese businesses

A wave of unrest targeting Sudanese businesses has swept through South Sudan following the killing of Southern Sudanese people in Wad Madani, El Gezira, after the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) recaptured the city. South Sudan’s police chief announced a nationwide curfew from 18.00 to 06.00.

Sami, a Sudanese refugee in Juba, described the security situation in the South Sudanese capital as dire. He explained that several markets frequented by Sudanese traders “including Libya Market, Sitta Market, and Tambara Market” had been plundered.

Reports have emerged of violent attacks on Sudanese nationals, despite a visible police presence in some areas. Sami noted that authorities have evacuated large numbers of Sudanese nationals to police stations to protect them from further attacks.

“The situation is deteriorating and will likely worsen unless the South Sudanese government intervenes more decisively”, he told Radio Dabanga, pointing to reports from other states that indicate expanding chaos and rising anger towards Sudanese nationals.

While Sami did not rule out the possibility of Sudanese fatalities, he said the nationwide curfew made it difficult to document such incidents.

The office of President Salva Kiir Mayardit issued a statement today calling for calm following the riots. Mayardit condemned the “inhumane barbaric killings of innocent South Sudanese civilians allegedly committed by the Sudanese Armed Forces,” adding they evoked “difficult, sad, and emotional memories.”

The president urged South Sudanese people to “remain calm and refrain from retaliation,” emphasising the importance of not letting “anger and emotions cloud our judgment and turn against Sudanese brothers and sisters.” He also called for the prosecution of “all those found looting or intruding.”

Sudanese ambassador summoned

On Wednesday, the South Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Sudanese Ambassador Issam Mohamed regarding the killing of South Sudanese nationals in Wad Madani, the capital of El Gezira, after the SAF took control of the city.

According to a press release, a comprehensive report from South Sudan’s embassy in Port Sudan revealed the victims included South Sudanese nationals who were uninvolved in the ongoing fighting and held foreign nationality.

The South Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on Sudan’s government to “conduct a thorough investigation into the reported incidents” and hold perpetrators accountable. The chairperson of Sudan’s Sovereignty Council, Lt Gen Abdelfattah El Burhan, has reportedly ordered an investigation into the incident.

Amid these tensions, SAF supporters in Sudan have accused the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of recruiting South Sudanese nationals to join their ranks. Similar accusations have been directed at nationals of Ethiopia, Chad, and Niger. The RSF has conversely accused the Sudanese army of using soldiers from Tigray and Eritrea in battles to recapture Wad Madani.

South Sudan currently hosts hundreds of thousands of Sudanese refugees fleeing the ongoing conflict, alongside long-established Sudanese communities that remained in the country after its independence from Sudan.