Fresh clashes have broken out in Yambio town, capital of South Sudan’s Western Equatoria state, multiple sources said.
Heavy gunfire was heard Monday night around Hai Napele and Ikiro areas in the northwest of the town as well as in Hai Kuba from between 7 and 8 pm and continued this morning, according to sources.
The shooting has stopped in the afternoon, but many civilians have fled the town to the south toward Congo, the sources said.
In a statement to Radio Tamazuj, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said its police officers are providing security to approximately 200 civilians, mostly women and children, who have sought protection at the ADRA NGO compound next to the Yambio UNMISS base.
“UNMISS patrols have gone into the town to patrol areas between Yambio airstrip, and the stadium to assess the security situation,” the statement added.
The mission said there was no information on casualties yet.
Eye Radio reported that the fighting disrupted exams for Primary 8 pupils, and that the fighting was between SPLA and another armed group.
The Yambio area is home to multiple armed groups, inlcuding SPLA, the rebel-aligned South Sudan People’s Patriotic Front under command of Alfred Futiyo, Arrow Boys community defense groups, and the South Sudan National Liberation Movement under command of Victor Wanga.
The SSNLM recently signed a peace deal with President Salva Kiir.
This story was updated 14:10, 8/12/15 with information from UNMISS, at 14:31, 8/12/15 with information from sources, and at 15:33, 8/12/15 with information from Eye Radio.