adminHerald Reporter
Government is closely monitoring the situation in South Sudan where violence between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and his former deputy Riek Machar has resulted in the death of more than 500 people. Secretary for Foreign Affairs Ambassador Joey Bimha yesterday said they got regular briefings from Harare’s embassy in Juba with the intention of evacuating Zimbabwean citizens if the situation deteriorated.
Some countries have already put mechanisms in place to evacuate their citizens.
“We are getting constant briefings from our embassy in Juba and if they tell us that the situation is bad then we will evacuate our people like we did with Libya and Egypt,” said Ambassador Bimha. “At the moment they have said things are still in control.”
A Zimbabwean journalist, Tendai Mbofana, based in Juba, told The Herald that South Sudan was home to a number of Zimbabweans employed as expatriate staff in various non-governmental organisations.
Many of them started working in Juba before South Sudan gained independence from The Sudan in 2011.
Mbofana said some Zimbabweans served with the UN Mission in that country, while others were employed in public education institutions as teachers and lecturers by the government of that country.
“The total number of Zimbabweans could well be around 200 or even more”, said Mbofana. “The ones I have spoken to are very safe”.
South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir on Wednesday said he was prepared to hold talks with rebel fighters who led a foiled coup that has sparked fierce fighting in the world’s youngest nation.
Reports indicate that besides hundreds who have been killed, thousands more terrified civilians fled their homes to UN bases since Sunday.
Online Reporter