JUBA (Reuters) – South Sudan police said on Monday that 16 Sudanese nationals were killed in riots last week over the alleged killings of South Sudanese people in Sudan’s El Gezira region.
Riots erupted in South Sudan’s capital Juba and elsewhere in the country on Thursday and Friday, with protesters angry about what they believed was the involvement of Sudan’s military and allied groups in the killings in El Gezira.
The Sudanese army has condemned what it called “individual violations” in El Gezira after human-rights groups blamed it and its allies for ethnically-targeted attacks against civilians accused of supporting the rebel Rapid Support Forces.
South Sudan’s national police said in a statement: “16 Sudanese foreign nationals were reported killed in four states.”
Police will continue to patrol markets and residential areas to protect Sudanese people, the statement said.
On Friday, the government imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew, which is still in force.
At least 24 suspects have been arrested and charges will be filed once investigations are complete, South Sudan’s military said in a separate statement.
(Reporting by Denis Elamu; Writing by Elias Biryabarema; Editing by Alexander Winning, Ros Russell)
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