Obama sends 47 US troops to South Sudan amid heavy fighting

“These deployed personnel will remain in South Sudan until the security situation becomes such that their presence is no longer needed”, the White House said in a statement on Wednesday.

“In response to the deteriorating security situation in South Sudan, I have ordered the deployment of additional U.S. Armed Forces personnel to South Sudan to support the security of U.S. personnel, and our Embassy in Juba”, Obama wrote in a letter to Congress released Wednesday by the White House.

The main duty of the 47 troops will be to protect the USA embassy in Juba and his staff. According to AFP, the first 47 soldiers arrived on site on Tuesday and some 130 others now in Djibouti are ready to join them “if necessary”, the U.S. president is quoted to have said.

India will send two C-17 military transport aircraft to war torn South Sudan’s capital city Juba on Thursday to evacuate over 300 Indians stranded there, an exercise which will be led by Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh.

The evacuations have been possible thanks to a brief ceasefire between the warring factions loyal to President Salva Kiir and Vice-President Riek Machar, but fighting in the capital Juba could flare up again at any time.

The president says the troops are “equipped for combat”.

At least 272 people have been killed in the latest spasm of violence, although a fragile ceasefire has now entered into force.

Renewed fighting between opposing army forces has raised fears of a return to civil war.

“Right now you’re seeing the peace process collapse, and so I think it’s really going to take pressure from the global community to hold both sides of the conflict accountable so that South Sudan can get back on the track to peace and development”.