At least 16 killed in fighting in S.Sudan’s second city — UN

JUBA: At least 16 civilians were killed when fighting erupted Monday between government troops and rebels in South Sudan’s second-largest city Wau, the United Nations peacekeeping mission ( UNMISS) said in a statement.

“The mission mounted two patrols into Wau on Monday and said it had observed the bodies of 16 civilians in a hospital. There were ten people who had been injured,” the statement said.

UNMISS said SPLA troops, tanks and equipment moved towards the south-western part of Wau late last week.

After an ambush south of the city left a number of government SPLA soldiers dead on Sunday, fighting spread to Wau.

According to the peacekeeping mission some 3,000 people – mostly women and children – had fled to a Catholic church in the town.

Another 84 had sought refuge at an UNMISS Protection of Civilians site.

Wau is located in a region that has repeatedly changed hands between government troops and rebels loyal to former vice president Riek Machar since the country descended into civil war in 2013.

The town itself is held by forces loyal to President Salva Kiir.

Civil war broke out in South Sudan in 2013 after a power struggle between foes Machar and Kiir.

At least 1.7 million people have fled the country because of the war, and 1.9 million are internally displaced. — AFP