South Sudan coup failed

Photo: The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

FILE - In this file photo of Monday, April 26, 2010, former South Sudan Vice President ,Riek Machar, left, President of South Sudan Salva Kiir, arrive during a press conference in Juba, South Sudan. Soldiers loyal to a former vice president attempted to overthrow the government of South Sudan, the country's president said Monday, as sporadic fighting between factions of the military gripped the capital in the latest violence to hit the world's youngest nation.(AP Photo/Pete Muller-File)

South Sudan's president on Monday ordered a dusk-to-dawn curfew in the capital after soldiers loyal to the former deputy attempted to seize power by force, leading to clashes between military factions that highlight the growing instability of the world's youngest nation.

Flanked by government officials, President Salva Kiir —who put on fatigues with an army general's epaulets inside of his usual gentleman's suit — said Monday in a televised address to the nation that the military had foiled a coup orchestrated by "a group of soldiers allied with the former vice-president." The soldiers had attacked the South Sudanese military headquarters near Juba University late Sunday, sparking sporadic bursts of gunfire that continued Monday, he said.

"The attackers went and (the) armed forces are pursuing them," Kiir said Monday. "I promise you today that justice will prevail."

The government is now "in full control of the military situation" in Juba, he said, insisting his government could only be removed though elections.

Details of the attempted coup remained sketchy, but South Sudanese Foreign Minister Barnaba Marial Benjamin told The Associated Press Monday that troops within the main army base in Juba raided the weapons store but were repulsed. Some politicians had since been arrested, he said, but could not confirm if former Vice-President Riek Machar —the alleged coup leader— was among those in detention. Benjamin said the coup was plotted by "disgruntled" soldiers and politicians led by Machar, who fell out with Kiir before being fired earlier this year as the country's deputy president.

An Associated Press reporter saw heavily armed soldiers and police patrolling the streets of Juba, but gunfire could no longer be heard later on Monday. The streets were largely empty of civilians. EgyptAir reported that it had cancelled its flight to Juba on Monday, saying the airport there was closed.

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan on Monday reported the sound of mortar and heavy machine-gun fire, saying hundreds of civilians had sought refuge inside U.N. facilities.

"We hope the security situation in Juba will quickly normalize to enable the civilians to return very soon to their residential areas," the mission said in a statement. There were no "key political or military figures" among those given shelter inside U.N. facilities, it said.