Pretoria – The South African government has condemned the alleged coup attempt in South Sudan.
“The South African government would like to express its condemnation of the alleged attempted coup in South Sudan on 15 December 2013. The South African government learnt with shock and dismay of the alleged attempt, by disgruntled soldiers, to overthrow by violent means the government of President Salva Kiir Mayardit,” said International Relations and Cooperation spokesperson Clayson Monyela in a statement.
South Africa has called on leaders to end the political crisis and for all parties to respect democracy and engage in talks to resolve their differences.
“South Africa firmly believes that respect for democracy and human rights are essential to the governance of all African countries and that all violent means to overthrow legitimate governments must be rejected, in line with decisions adopted by the African Union and the United Nations,” said Monyela.
This follows the spread of fighting between South Sudanese soldiers to the flashpoint town of Bor, raising fears of a broader civil conflict in the two-year-old nation.
The UN said it had received reports of between 400 and 500 people killed and up to 800 wounded in the violence.
Monyela said South Sudan was still in the process of unification, reconciliation and nation building, while it simultaneously seeks to develop its government structures and institutions after its independence in 2011.
“It is therefore highly unfortunate that an attempt was allegedly made to undermine the stability of the country,” Monyela said.
He said South Africa also calls on the government of South Sudan and those opposing it to exercise restraint, enter into dialogue to seek peaceful resolution of their differences and to avert any further escalation of the tension in the country.
The US has started evacuating non-essential embassy staff and citizens from South Sudan, while the British and Dutch governments are preparing the evacuation of their citizens, with other nations expected to follow. – SAnews.gov.za
