Renewed fighting breaks out across South Sudan capital

Renewed gunfights broke out across South Sudan’s capital yesterday between forces loyal to the president and those of the vice president, officials said yesterday, causing widespread casualties and raising fears that the country is returning to civil war.
The fighting hit a U.N. camp for displaced people hit by the violence, according to witnesses.
“The condition is really very bad. We have a lot of casualties this side, I think around 50 to 60 besides those of yesterday,” said an official in the camp, who insisted on anonymity for fear of retribution. “We have civilian casualties. We have rocket-propelled grenades that have landed in the camp which has wounded eight people.”
At least one person has died in the camp, he said, but he did not know about casualties outside where the fighting is heavy.
Government forces attacked a rebel base in the Jebel area of the capital Sunday morning, said William Gatjiath Deng, a spokesman for the rebel forces.
“Three helicopter gunships have just come now and bombed our side,” he said.
Government spokesmen could not be reached for comment.
The U.N. Mission in South Sudan is on a high security alert with no movement of U.N. personnel whatsoever, said Shantal Persaud, spokeswoman for the U.N. mission.
Yesterday’s fighting is a resumption of the conflict on Friday in which more than 100 people died. A precarious calm was restored on Saturday— the day South Sudan was to celebrate its fifth independence day — that was shattered by heavy gunfire yesterday.
South Sudan is trying to emerge from a two-year civil war caused by political rivalry between Vice President Riek Machar and President Salva Kiir. AP