Heavy gunfire echoed through South Sudan’s capital Thursday evening as security forces attempted to arrest the former head of the national intelligence service, marking the latest episode of political tension in the fragile East African nation.
The shooting began around 7 p.m. local time and continued sporadically for more than an hour in Juba, according to Reuters reporters in the city. A United Nations security alert to staff members, seen by Reuters, confirmed the gunfire was related to efforts to arrest the former National Security Service (NSS) chief and advised personnel to shelter in place.
The incident follows President Salva Kiir’s dismissal of Akol Koor Kuc in early October, removing the man who had led the intelligence service since South Sudan’s independence from Sudan in 2011. Analysts view Kuc’s removal as evidence of a power struggle within the highest levels of government, coming shortly after the transitional government announced a second postponement of elections originally scheduled for December.
The unrest occurs against a backdrop of delicate political balance between President Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar, whose rival factions fought a devastating civil war from 2013 to 2018 that claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. While the two have shared power in a transitional government since 2018, maintaining relative peace, periodic clashes continue between opposing forces and various armed groups in rural areas.
Military officials reached by telephone said they were working to establish details of the situation.
