According to Reuters, heavy gunfire broke out in South Sudan’s capital on Thursday as security forces were deployed to prevent angry youths from looting businesses.

Police in South Sudan imposed a nighttime curfew following a violent anti-Sudanese protest in Juba that escalated into widespread looting.

Police Chief Abraham Manyuat announced the curfew on state television, stating it would begin at 6:00 p.m. The announcement came as new protests flared in Juba and other cities. The unrest had prompted the deployment of security forces and heavy gunfire in the capital to control the situation.

Reports revealed that Sudanese-owned businesses across various neighborhoods in Juba had been vandalized and looted amidst heightened tensions. Police responded by firing warning shots into the air to deter youths from further looting and destruction of shops.

The protests stemmed from public outrage over the alleged killing of South Sudanese nationals by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in Sudan. Colonel John Kassara Koang Nhial, spokesperson for the South Sudan National Police Service, confirmed efforts to disperse protesters who were demonstrating against the killings in Wad Madani, the capital of Al Jazirah State.

He emphasized that Sudanese nationals living in South Sudan would be protected, and their properties safeguarded against looting.

The unrest followed the circulation of graphic videos on social media earlier in the week, showing South Sudanese citizens killed in Wad Madani. These videos raised alarm about the safety of thousands stranded in the war-ravaged neighboring country.