South Sudan President Salva Kiir and Vice President Riek Machar appealed for calm after days of heavy fighting between their soldiers.
Kiir and Machar have separate forces loyal to each side, but more on that later. The
two rivals have been embroiled in a power struggle for years, with
forces loyal to both engaging in battles and civilians trapped in the
crossfires.
Five years after
seceding from neighboring Sudan, the fledgling nation got mired in yet
another conflict -- this time on the anniversary of its independence.
What
initiated the latest clashes? Did they start over a Facebook post? Or
was the violence triggered by an attack on a checkpoint? You asked, and
we answered.
What is happening in South Sudan?
In
2011, South Sudan split from its northern neighbor, Sudan, in a
contentious divorce brokered by international diplomats to end one of
the world's longest civil wars.
The
split ended decades of violence and bloodshed between South Sudan,
which is predominantly Christian, and its Muslim neighbor, Sudan.
Jubilant
South Sudan citizens danced in the streets after gaining independence
from Sudan. Many believed war was finally behind them and a peaceful
existence awaited.
But things have been far from peaceful, and rival factions have turned on one another since the split.
This
weekend marked the fifth anniversary of South Sudan's independence. But
instead of celebrating another year as a sovereign nation, violence
erupted.
Why is South Sudan fighting?
Kiir and Machar are central characters at the heart of the infighting.
The
two leaders have been embroiled in a power struggle since late 2013,
when the President accused the vice president of trying to oust him
through a coup.
The same year, the President fired his entire Cabinet, including the vice president.
Chaos ensued as forces loyal to both battled. Violence quickly spread, with reports of mass killings emerging nationwide.
The
three years of violence has left at least 50,000 people dead, more than
2 million displaced and nearly 5 million others facing severe food
shortages.
The conflict has taken
ethnic undertones as each side stakes its loyalties --- the Nuer tribe
backs Machar while the President hails from the Dinka tribe. Militia sometimes separates terrified residents by ethnicity and massacres those from rival tribes, the United Nations said.
The
Dinka and Nuer are the country's biggest ethnic groups, with Dinka the
largest at 36% and the Nuer at 16 %, according to the CIA World
Factbook.
Why was the vice president reinstated?
As
the bloodshed continued, an exasperated international community
appealed to Kiir and Machar to do whatever it takes to stop the
violence.
As part of a peace deal to end the civil war, the President reinstated his political rival in February. Machar reclaimed his old job as vice president, but troops loyal to each side were not as forgiving, and clashed sporadically.
What role did social media play in the violence?
Depends whom you ask.
South Sudan's ambassador to Kenya told local media that a social media post led to the recent outbreak of violence, which left about 150 people dead.
The
vice president's spokesman posted a message on Facebook last week
saying Machar was detained at the presidential palace, while he was in
fact meeting with the President, the ambassador alleged.
Forces
loyal to Machar stepped into action, opening fire outside the palace,
Kenyan media quoted the ambassador as saying. When the vice president's
forces tried to forcefully enter the palace to check on him, clashes
ensued, the ambassador alleged.
CNN has reached out to the ambassador but has not heard back.
The vice president's spokesman, James Gatdet Dak, slammed the ambassador's accusations.
"Look
at this liar who calls himself an ambassador in Kenya," he posted on
Facebook. "These people such as this ambassador in Kenya will never
learn to tell the truth. They pride in lying."
Other
media reports have said the violence started after clashes between the
two sides at a checkpoint Thursday killed several soldiers loyal to
Kiir.
Is South Sudan safe?
In a country that has not seen much peace in recent years, most nations are not taking chances.
Kenya's largest airline, Kenya Airways, canceled flights to the capital of Juba when the clashes broke out.
The United States has ordered the evacuation of all nonessential
embassy employees, and two charter flights will depart Juba for Uganda
on Thursday. Britain advised against all travel to South Sudan, saying
the security situation is deteriorating.
Germany
is evacuating its citizens while a plane carrying Italian and European
citizens left for Djibouti. India has warned its citizens in the nation
to register at its embassy in Juba and stay indoors as the government
works to evacuate all nationals.
The effects of the fighting are spreading internationally. One Chinese peacekeeper was killed and six others injured last week.
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