Uneasy calm returns to Juba after gunfire

Calm is returning to South Sudan’s capital Juba after heavy gun shots were heard on Thursday night.

The guns have now gone silent but streets are largely empty, many businesses are closed.

The gun shots which began at about 7:30pm on Thursday and lasted for about an hour (sporadic) was between was due to a misunderstanding between bodyguards of the former Director General of the National Security Services, General Akol Koor and the military according to the army spokesperson.

“There was shooting in the resident of the former spy chief, General Akol Koor and it was involving our own security forces that had been deployed there to provide extra security, you know there are two levels of security, there is outer protection force, a platoon that had been deployed to provide extra security and there are close protection force within his compound and there was a misunderstanding, we do not know what happened but that misunderstanding resulted in the gunfire, the chief of defense forces went to the scene and ordered them to cease fighting.” Said, Major General Lul Ruai Koang who is the army spokesperson.

General Lul further said the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces will carry out an investigation into the incident on Friday.

The gun shots on Thursday night has made many to remain indoors on Friday.

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has advised that all its staff should remain home and work remotely.

Many streets are unusually without traffic jam, Konyokonyo market that is usually congested is having only a few people..

Ecobank, Koita Complex, Ministries road photo by Juba Echo TV

Many banks remain closed, we visited Equity Bank Munuki branch and it was closed, Juba Echo Team also visited two branches of Ecobank, Koita Complex and Stadium Branches remain closed, one security guard we spoke to said the bank will open at 10am.

General Akol Koor who headed the National Security Services for more than a decade was sacked by president Salva Kiir last month (October), at the time of his sacking he was out of the country, he was appointed a governor of Warrap State where president Salva Kiir comes from. However, when General Akol returned home, his appointment was revoked and he has not been seen in public since then.

Many in the capital Juba say he was put under house arrest.