Kiir to address nation at 3 PM on escalating tensions in Juba

JUBA – President Salva Kiir Mayardit will this afternoon address he world’s youngest country on the escalation of tensions within the capital Juba following the deployment of security forces around the house of First Vice President and opposition leader Dr. Riek Machar Teny.

This comes a night after a joint force of South Sudan National Security Service and South Sudan People’s Defense Forces was deployed along the road adjacent to the house of the first vice president raising fears of return to the deadly conflict that has killed about half a million people.

In an interview with the independent Radio Tamazuj, information minister and government spokesman Michael Makuei Lueth said President Salva Kiir will address the nation this afternoon on the escalating tensions in Juba and on the status of the revitalized peace agreement.

“The president has a press conference at 3 pm and he will discuss all these issues including rumors of tensions in Juba and the implementation of the peace agreement,” Makuei said told Radio Tamazuj in the interview.

Tensions in Juba worsened since last week when SPLM-IO suspended its participation in security mechanisms overseeing the implementation of the security arrangements to protest continued attacks on SPLA-IO cantonment sites in Unity and Upper Nile states.

Kiir later on issued a republic order for allocation of top positions in the army and South Sudan police service to the SPLM-IO and South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA). Machar issued a statement rejecting the decree saying the decision violates the peace agreement because it is unilateral.