Foreigners flee South Sudan but locals turned back at border

The United States, India and other countries are continuing to evacuate their citizens from South Sudan, where a fragile ceasefire appears to hold amid fears of a return to civil war.

India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj says two aircraft had landed in the capital, Juba, for evacuations.

The US Embassy has said it was arranging flights out of the country for Americans on Thursday.

Other evacuees have already landed in neighboring Kenya and Uganda and elsewhere.

Germany’s foreign office says those evacuated on Wednesday included three wounded Chinese peacekeepers from the UN mission in South Sudan and citizens from Britain, France, Poland, Norway, Australia, Canada, Kenya and other countries.

Israeli aid workers have also been evacuated in recent days, according to IsraAID, which operates there.

But South Sudanese trying to flee the country by road have reported being turned back from the border.

— AP