LONDON: British citizens “should leave South Sudan now,” UK foreign minister David Lammy has warned, with fears growing the country is tipping closer to civil war as a fragile peace deal unravels.
“My message to British nationals in South Sudan is clear. If you judge it is safe to do so – leave now,” Lammy said on X late Thursday, as the foreign ministry updated its travel warning for the country.
The message comes after Wednesday’s arrest of First Vice President Riek Machar, a long-time rival to President Salva Kiir, which observers warn could throw the country back into war.
A power-sharing deal between Kiir and Machar has been gradually unraveling, risking a return of the civil war that killed around 400,000 people between 2013 and 2018.
Lammy said: “South Sudan’s leaders must make efforts to de-escalate. A descent into violence and conflict is in no-one’s interests.”
In its updated travel advice, the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said British nationals who chose to remain in the country did so “at your own risk.”
“You should have a personal emergency plan that does not rely on the UK government,” it added, warning Britons they “should not assume that the FCDO will be able to provide assistance... in the event of serious unrest.”
South Sudan – which declared independence from Sudan in 2011 – has remained plagued by poverty and insecurity since the 2018 peace deal.
Regional powers have scrambled to mediate in the latest crisis, with Kenyan President William Ruto posting that he had spoken to Kiir about Machar’s arrest.
Analysts say the aging Kiir, 73, has been seeking to ensure his succession and sideline Machar politically for months through cabinet reshuffles.
More than 20 of Machar’s political and military allies in the unity government and army have also been arrested since February, many held incommunicado.