Sunday 12 January 2014

South Sudan Conflict: Safety A Price On The Nile For IDP


Okay folks, since the beginning of this useless war tailored by power ambition started in South Sudan; I haven't written one bit about it. The reason for this, is that I see it nonsense - a brother killing a brother because of a power tussle. But yeah! I managed to fish this story for enjoyment of my loyal readers.

On the lush green banks of the River Nile, safety comes at a steep price.

At 6.40 in the morning, a few minutes before sunrise, two boats laden with perhaps 150 people slid on to the muddy west bank of the river and the first passengers splashed ashore.


Akuch sat waiting with her few belongings. She was not sure of her exact age. "I've got grey hair and 10 children," she told me after clambering awkwardly on to land.

But she remembered the amount of money she had to borrow to escape the fighting by crossing the river: "It was 150 pounds. I had to wait on the other side until someone agreed to lend it to me. Now I must find a way to pay it back. There are many people still waiting over there."

Nearby, children sat quietly on a tree trunk waiting for instructions. A group of government soldiers carried an injured colleague towards a medical tent at what has become known as Awerial Camp. A blind man lay on a mattress near to another elderly man with a bullet wound in his shin.

According to several people, the fighting on the east bank, around the key town of Bor 25km (15 miles) to the north, has intensified in recent days, with a number of civilians targeted as they tried to cross the river.

Suddenly, there was a distant roar from across the Nile - perhaps half a dozen muffled explosions. Then we spotted an unidentifiable jet high overhead, heading south, presumably after dropping its bombs.

"There is a lot of fighting," said a man called Matthew. "We'd been hiding. It's very expensive, very expensive [to cross the river]. That's why I didn't

Source: BBCafrica

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