South Sudan curfew after revenge attacks on Sudanese people and businesses

A second police source told the BBC that officers rescued 45 Sudanese traders in Juba who are now receiving protection at a police station.

South Sudan broke away from Sudan to form an independent country in 2011 after a long civil war, but recently, more and more Sudanese have fled to South Sudan to escape the latest conflict.

Sudan has become the world’s worst humanitarian crisis since the country’s warring generals began to turn on each other in April 2023. Half of the population – about 25 million people – are in dire need of food and aid, the United Nations said.

Recent footage showing alleged Sudanese soldiers killing South Sudanese civilians appears to show the town of Wad Madani, the capital of Gezira State in central Sudan over the past few days.

Rights groups confirmed that at least 13 – including several children – were killed there because of their ethnicity.

Darker-skinned people say that racism is endemic in Sudan, and targeted attacks on this community by lighter-skinned Arab fighters today in places such as Gezira and Darfur have a long precedent.

Slave raids are widely reported to have continued until the end of the civil war in 2005, which led to predominantly black South African Sudan seceding from Arabic-speaking Sudan six years later.

The incident shown in the viral video has been condemned by South Sudanese in the country and abroad in the diaspora.

Incensed by what they saw in the clip and wanting to retaliate, hundreds of youths attacked Sudanese-owned businesses in Juba and other parts of South Sudan on Thursday.

Gunshots could be heard throughout the night as security forces patrolled.

The BBC witnessed dozens of young men – mainly in their 20s – running as they were chased by police along Tambura road, which is one of the busiest roads in the Atlabara suburb of Juba.

On Friday shops and businesses in Juba including the country’s largest market, Konyo Konyo, keep it closed. Restaurants and canteens have also been locked down as owners take precautionary measures.

Bread prices shot up to 17% in Juba on Friday in some local bakeries that were open.

Police continue to chase youths who move from one neighborhood to another, targeting Sudanese citizens. Dozens of police have been deployed to protect Sudanese people and their businesses in the suburbs of Atalabara C and others, the BBC understands.

We saw a police vehicle round up and pick up a group of young people.

Eyewitnesses in Wau, the country’s second-largest city, told the BBC by telephone on Friday that hundreds of angry youths attacked Souk Jaw, a popular market, which houses many Sudanese-owned businesses.

They also tried to loot some shops, but the police fired live bullets in the air to disperse them.

Elsewhere, spontaneous demonstrations reportedly took place in Tonj town in Warrap, President Salva Kiir’s home state on Friday.

The BBC cannot independently verify claims of attacks and looting taking place in areas outside Juba.