JUBA, South Sudan / ISTANBUL

Türkiye issued a travel warning for its citizens due to escalating tensions and armed clashes in South Sudan, urging them to avoid nonessential travel to the country.

The Turkish Embassy advised against travel amid recent security concerns and the spread of violence to the outskirts of the capital Juba, according to information obtained by Anadolu. Turkish nationals already in South Sudan have been urged to stay in contact with the embassy.

“In line with the announcement from our Foreign Ministry, our embassy issued a travel warning last night for citizens considering traveling to South Sudan,” Metin Ergin, Türkiye’s ambassador to Juba, told Anadolu.

Ongoing tensions in South Sudan

South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation, gained independence from Sudan in 2011 following a referendum.

However, the country has been plagued by conflict since December 2013, when President Salva Kiir Mayardit dismissed his deputy, Riek Machar, accusing him of plotting a coup.

Despite peace agreements in 2018 and 2022, instability persists, with sporadic violence erupting.

In February, a militia group known as the White Army, largely made up of members of Machar’s Nuer ethnic group, seized a town in the Upper Nile State. In response, several generals and government ministers affiliated with Machar’s Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition were detained.

On March 7, Kiir urged calm, stating: "We will not allow our country to return to war. The government will address this crisis." However, reports emerged last week that Machar had been placed under house arrest.

Several countries, including the US, Canada, the UK, Germany, China, Norway, Poland, Spain, Malaysia, and Austria, have also issued travel advisories for South Sudan.