272 people killed in Juba, Sudan

About 272 people including 33 civilians killed in Juba, South Sudan’s capital.
– The fighting began on Thursday when troops loyal to President Kiir stopped cars and forcefully demanded to search vehicles of people loyal to vice president Machar.

– UN mission compounds in South Sudan were affected by the fighting with at least one UN Chinese official dead.
Juba, South Sudan’s capital has been rocked by conflict leading to the loss of 272 lives. The fighting started on Thursday, July 7, when troops loyal to Kiir stopped and demanded they be allowed to search vehicles of Machar’s loyalists.Fleeing residents of Juba seek refuge
The war that first broke out in December 2013 when President Salva Kiir sacked his vice president, Riek Machar, led to Thursday’s standoff, when the demand to be allowed to search was denied.
A resident of Juba, Ramdan Kazimiro said: “I heard a sound of gunshots and people were running everywhere,” while speaking to Reuters News.
“The military put their cars in the middle of the road coming from Gudele…the whole area is (in) lock down by the government military,” another resident said.
Thursday’s standoff led to full-blown fighting on Sunday, July 10, when forces loyal to Vice President Riek Machar said his residence was attacked by the president’s troops.There was no immediate response from the government of President Salva Kiir to the statement by Machar’s spokesman. Kiir’s information minister, Michael Makuei, said earlier the situation was under control and urged people to stay at home.
So far, 272 people have reportedly died in the conflict, with the health ministry source saying 33 civilians were among those killed in the latest clashes, which have fuelled fears about renewed conflict and raised concerns about the extent the two men can control their troops in the world’s newest nation.
A Chinese UN peacekeeper was killed and several Chinese and Rwandan peacekeepers were injured, Japan’s UN ambassador Koro Bessho said on Sunday, July 10, after the UN Security Council was briefed on the situation. Japan is council president for July.
The UN mission said their compounds in Juba had been hit by small arms and heavy weapons fire.
“The Security Council expressed their readiness to consider enhancing (the UN mission) UNMISS to better ensure that UNMISS and the international community can prevent and respond to violence in South Sudan,” Bessho told reporters