South Sudan national police service (SSNPS) says it has beefed up security across the war-torn country ahead of the festive season.
Xinhua quotes the SSNPS deputy police spokesperson to say that troops have been deployed to various strategic regions across the country.
“Security has been beefed up in the capital, major towns and other locations across the country as precautionary plans to boost safety of all the residents in the country,” Dak said.
“For the capital Juba to be safe, we have done adequate preparations by dividing Juba into five zones with huge deployment of forces for us to make sure citizens celebrate Christmas and New Year peacefully,” Dak said.
The deputy police spokesman said the operation will be a joint security venture and the general public need to remain vigilant during the coming days as crimes are usually high during festive season.
South Sudan has been in conflict since December 2013, following President Salva Kiir’s accusations that his then-deputy Riek Machar was plotting to overthrow his government. Machar denied the allegations but then went on to mobilize a rebel force to fight the government.
The war has killed thousands and displaced millions, prompting the United Nations to rank the country as Africa’s biggest refugee crisis, coming third worldwide after Syria and Afghanistan.
