Heavy gunfire erupted in South Sudan’s capital, Juba, on Thursday evening following a reported attempt by security forces to arrest the former head of the National Security Service (NSS), according to eyewitnesses and a United Nations alert seen by Reuters.
The gunfire began around 7 p.m. local time (1700 GMT) and lasted intermittently for over an hour before subsiding. A U.N. safety advisory urged staff in Juba to shelter in place, linking the incident to the arrest of the former NSS chief.
President Salva Kiir had dismissed Akol Koor Kuc, the longtime head of the NSS, in early October, replacing him with a close ally. Akol had led the intelligence agency since South Sudan’s independence in 2011. His removal has been viewed by analysts as part of a deeper power struggle within the government, particularly as the transitional government recently postponed elections expected in December for a second time.
However, army spokesperson, Major General Lul Ruai Koang denied that Akol had been arrested, stating that he remained at his residence throughout the incident. Koang promised to address the media on Friday after consultations with security officials.
Tensions between rival factions loyal to President Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar have persisted despite the relative peace achieved following their 2018 agreement to form a transitional government. The civil war between their factions from 2013 to 2018 claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, and while open conflict has reduced, sporadic clashes among opposing forces and armed groups continue to plague South Sudan.
This latest incident underscores the fragility of the nation’s peace and the challenges it faces ahead of rescheduled elections.
