U.S. Ambassador To The U.N. Nikki Haley Evacuated From South Sudan Refugee Camp

ABC News: Nikki Haley evacuated from South Sudan camp after protesters descend

Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, was rushed away from a U.N. camp in South Sudan today when people protesting South Sudan's president descended on the event she was attending, a U.S. official told ABC News.

Haley was meeting with civilians affected by the conflict in South Sudan at a "protection of civilians center" run by the U.N. when a group of around 100 people demonstrating against President Salva Kiir came nearby, the official said.

Haley's security team determined it was not safe and escorted her out, cutting the event short, according to the official, who did not believe the protesters made contact with Haley.

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More News On U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley's Trip To Africa

US ambassador to UN evacuated from volatile South Sudan camp -- AP
Haley evacuated from refugee camp amid protest -- The Hill
Nikki Haley warns war-torn South Sudan that US aid 'at crossroads' unless violence eases -- Washington Post
US Has Lost Trust in South Sudan, Trump Envoy Tells President -- U.S. News & World Report
UN Ambassador Nikki Haley evacuated from South Sudan camp after protest violence breaks out -- Fox News
Nikki Haley: This is why the President is sending me to Africa -- CNN
Haley warns African conflicts becoming 'breeding ground' for terrorists -- CNN

U.S. Reassures South Sudan That Troops Sent To South Sudan Will Only Be Used To Protect The U.S. Embassy And Civilians

Reuters: U.S. seeks to reassure South Sudan on troops sent to Juba

The United States is not taking any offensive military actions with the goal of destabilizing South Sudan, and is only sending a small contingent to assist its embassy in the country, which has been gripped by violence between rival troops, the State Department said on Sunday.

The United States wants to reassure the people and the government of South Sudan that it has no plans to target any government or military leaders or import special military equipment with the goal of destabilizing the nation, State Department Deputy Spokesperson Mark Toner in a statement.

"Any suggestion that the United States has done so or will do so is false, baseless, and not in the interest of peace in South Sudan," he also said.

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Update: US deploys troops in South Sudan (New Vision)

WNU Editor: This contingent is too small to have an impact on the conflict in South Sudan, but the AU is now thinking of deploying military forces .... AU Ponders Sending Troops to South Sudan (East African).

Update #2: If troops are to be deployed, this is where they should be deployed .... Mass looting of aid in war-torn South Sudan (News24).

U.S. Evacuates Embassy Staff In South Sudan

CNN: South Sudan: U.S. evacuates embassy staff amid 'sudden and serious' fighting

(CNN)The United States is evacuating non-emergency staff from its embassy in South Sudan, after an escalation of fighting in the capital that has killed scores including a Chinese U.N. peacekeeper.

The State Department said the security situation in Juba Sunday had seen a "sudden and serious deterioration," with clashes between government and opposition forces breaking out into "general fighting."

The United Nations Security Council, which held a closed door meeting in New York Sunday, expressed "shock and outrage" at attacks on civilians and U.N. compounds, saying they may constitute war crimes.

It called on President Salva Kiir and his rival Vice President Riek Machar to control their respective forces, prevent the spread of violence and genuinely commit themselves to the implementation of a ceasefire and peace agreement.

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WNU Editor: When embassy staff are ordered out like this .... it means the place is going to hell. The above video is from Al Jazeera, and it explains what's gone wrong in South Sudan.

Why Did The U.S. Turn A Blind Eye On The Use Of Child Soldiers By South Sudan

UNICEF says 15,000 child soldiers have fought in the two-year civil war [Katy Migiro/Reuters]

Nick Turse, The Intercept: New Nation. Long War

Hillary Clinton’s State Department Gave South Sudan’s Military a Pass for Its Child Soldiers.

MET A FEW of them in the town of Pibor last year. These battle-tested veterans had just completed two or three years of military service. They told me about the rigors of a soldier’s life, about toting AK-47s, about the circumstances that led them to take up arms. In the United States, not one of these soldiers would have met the age requirements to enlist in the Army. None were older than 16.

Rebel forces in southern Sudan began using child soldiers long before seceding from Sudan in 2011. The United States, on the other hand, passed a law in 2008 that banned providing military assistance to nations that use child soldiers. The law was called the Child Soldiers Prevention Act, or CSPA, but after South Sudan’s independence, the White House issued annual waivers that kept aid flowing to the world’s newest nation despite its use of child soldiers. President Obama stated in 2012 that the waiver that year was in “the national interest of the United States.”

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WNU Editor: The focus of this article is on Hillary Clinton, but it is the White House .... specifically President Obama .... who is the main architect of this policy and its outcome.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry Warns South Sudan That Their Future Is At Grave Risk

Secretary of State John Kerry speaks to employees at the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Monday, May 4, 2015, in Nairobi, Kenya. Kerry is visiting Sri Lanka, Kenya, and Djibouti on his trip. Reuters/Andrew Harnik/Pool

Reuters: South Sudan's future at grave risk - Kerry

NAIROBI May 4 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Monday that South Sudan's government and rebels had failed to make compromises needed to end a civil conflict and that this was putting the future of the world's youngest nation at "grave risk".

South Sudan split from Sudan as an independent nation in 2011, helped by the political and financial backing of the United States and other Western powers.

But a political crisis between President Salva Kiir and Riek Machar, who he sacked as his deputy in 2013, erupted into a conflict in December of that year. Fighting has rumbled on since then with both sides ignoring repeated agreements to stop.

Update #1: Kerry makes emotional appeal to So. Sudan’s warring leaders -- Washington Post/AP
Update #2: Kerry endorses ‘hybrid court’ to try South Sudan crimes -- The Guardian/AFP

WNU Editor: South Sudan's as a nation state has all but imploded into a failed and dysfunctional country. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's warnings are .... unfortunately .... too late.

Limits Of U.S. Power In South Sudan

U.S. Army servicemen from the East Africa Response Force (EARF) prepare to board a U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules at Djibouti's Camp Lemonnier to assist in the evacuation of US personnel from Juba, South Sudan last week. (Photo: US Air Force)

U.S. Mission In South Sudan Shows Limits Of Military -- Eric Schmitt, New York Times

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon’s recent efforts to help evacuate Americans from strife-torn South Sudan and to bolster security at the United States Embassy there underscore the military’s ability to more quickly send crisis response forces to emergencies in Africa.

But they also reveal the limitations of American military power there and highlight the remaining gaps in intelligence and communications, according to commanders and independent analysts. One evacuation mission was aborted on Dec. 21 when three Osprey aircraft ran into heavy small-arms fire and four members of a Navy SEAL team were wounded.

In response to the fatal attack on the American diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, in 2012, the Pentagon created a 150-member rapid response force in Djibouti in the Horn of Africa, and sent 500 Marines to a base in Spain, positioning troops, aircraft and military equipment closer to potential conflicts.

The mission in South Sudan is the first test of these new forces. In some respects, the troops did well, the analysts said.

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My Comment: You go on a mission with what you have .... and for the U.S. in Africa, they have limited resources and too few boots on the ground to be an effective force. Guarding the embassy and running shotgun on a convoy is about the limits of what they can do.

What Can The U.S. Do To Stop The Civil War In South Sudan

Can The U.S. Stop Civil War in South Sudan? -- Josh Rogin, Daily Beast

The Obama administration is scrambling to stop South Sudan’s slide into chaos, but nothing seems to be working. What else can the U.S. do before it’s too late?

The U.S. government is on high alert as the Sudanese crisis worsens by the hour. With time running out before an all-out civil war erupts, the Obama administration is short on options. Experts say it’s time to put pressure on Khartoum to rein in the rebels.

The U.S. embassy in Juba decided not to shut down Friday, but it reduced staffing for the second time amid fears that the rebel force led by ex-Vice President Riek Machar might march on Juba to contest control of the capital city from the forces of the Sudanese People’s Liberation Army, which is under the tenuous command of President Salva Kiir. If the battle of Juba begins, the embassy will be forced to close.

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My Comment: I am sure that the U.S. can stop the civil war in South Sudan .... but it will involve massive troop deployments, the commitment of billions of dollars in resources, and an understanding that such an involvement will last for years. Faced with such a scenario .... it is not a stretch to say that there is zero political or public will in the U.S. to make such a sacrifice.

President Obama: The U.S. Will Intervene In South Sudan

Obama Says US May Take Further Military Action To Protect Americans In South Sudan -- FOX News

President Barack Obama told Congress Sunday that he may take further military action to protect Americans trying to evacuate violence-plagued South Sudan.

In a letter to Congress, Obama said that about 46 U.S. troops were deployed Saturday to help evacuate Americans. That's in addition to another 45 troops deployed to reinforce the U.S. Embassy in Juba.

Four U.S. troops were injured in the evacuation mission Saturday when gunfire hit three military planes in Bor. All four are in stable condition, the White House said.

It remains unclear how many Americans are still stranded in Bor and other rural towns.

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More News On President Obama Warning That The U.S. Will Intervene In South Sudan

Obama tells Congress he 'may take further action' in South Sudan -- UPI
President Obama warns: Force looms in South Sudan -- New York Daily News/AP
Obama may 'take further action' to protect Americans in South Sudan -- NBC
Obama raises tone on S. Sudan after attack -- AFP
US for military intervention in South Sudan, says Barack Obama -- Zee News
Obama says may take further action to aid Americans in S. Sudan -- Wire Update
US ups pressure in S. Sudan, but no military role likely -- AFP

Four U.S. Military Personnel Injured After Their Military Aircraft Was Struck By Gunfire From South Sudan Rebels (Updated)

Four Hurt As Gunfire Hits US Military Plane Sent To Evacuate Americans From South Sudan -- NBC

Four U.S. military personnel were injured early Saturday when a plane being sent to help evacuate Americans from strife-torn South Sudan was struck by gunfire.

The Osprey CV-22 was damaged while approaching the city of Bor. The mission was aborted and the aircraft diverted to Entebbe, Uganda, a military official told NBC News. The injured servicemen were later taken to a hospital in Nairobi, Kenya, where they were in stable condition Saturday. None of their wounds was considered life-threatening.

The shooting came two days after three U.N. peacekeepers were killed in South Sudan. The Indian soldiers are among 500 people killed and 800 wounded in South Sudan since Sunday night, when gunbattles erupted between army factions loyal to the country's president and his former vice president, who are members of different tribes. The conflict has deepened divisions in the two-year-old nation.

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More News On U.S. Servicemen Injured After Receiving Fire From South Sudan Rebels

Obama warns South Sudan after U.S. military aircraft attacked -- Reuters
3 US Military Aircraft Hit in S. Sudan, 4 Wounded -- ABC News/AP
U.S. aircraft hit by gunfire in South Sudan as conflict worsens -- Reuters
Obama warns South Sudan after US military personnel wounded -- The Australian/AP
U.S. aircraft struck during evac attempt -- Columbus Dispatch/New York Times
US Troops Wounded in South Sudan -- Voice of America

Two US Military Aircraft Hit By Rebels In South Sudan. Casualties Reported

South Sudan: US Military Aircraft Hit By Rebels -- SKY News

The incident comes during an outbreak of violence that began in the capital and has spread to other parts of the country.

Two US military aircraft have been fired at during an evacuation mission in South Sudan, according to reports.

Three US service personnel were wounded, with one said to be in a critical condition.

Officials said the aircraft were heading to Bor, the capital of the state of Jonglei and the scene of some of the country's worst violence in the past week.

After being fired at the planes turned around and headed to Kampala in Uganda. From there the wounded service personnel were flown to Nairobi, Kenya for medical treatment.

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More News On Two U.S. Evacuation Aircraft ‘Shot At’ In South Sudan

US military aircraft hit in S. Sudan -- AP
US aircraft ‘hit by incoming fire’ over South Sudan -- Irish Times
Two US military aircraft fired upon in South Sudan, one soldier critical -- Independent.ie
S Sudan evacuation planes 'fired on' -- BBC
U.S. evacuation aircrafts ‘shot at’ in South Sudan, three injured -- Premium Times
US aircraft shot at in South Sudan: sources -- Capital FM/AFP

U.S. To Send Military Advisers To South Sudan

US Military To Help Build South Sudan -- Voice Of America

The United States military is joining efforts to help build the newly independent nation of South Sudan.

U.S. Defense officials say they are dispatching five officers from the Army, Air Force, Navy, and the Marines starting January 13 on the orders of President Barack Obama.

South Sudan gained independence last July and has been hit by outbreaks of internal violence, with groups battling one another along ethnic and political lines.

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Update: Obama sending 5 US military officers to S. Sudan -- CBS/AP

My Comment: South Sudan is tearing itself apart with tribal and sectarian conflicts .... and we are sending military personnel into the middle of it. Where is the debate? Where is Congress? Where is the media coverage?