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Fresh firefight in South Sudan capital

Gunfire was once again heard in South Sudan's capital on Sunday as former rebels and government soldiers exchanged fire on the outskirts of the city.
(FILES) This file photo taken on May 11, 2016 shows internally displaced people (IDPs) recently arrived in Wau, South Sudan, due to armed clashes in surrounding villages, waiting to be registered by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the World Food Programme (WFP) on May 11, 2016. South Sudan marks five years of independence on July 9 with celebrations cancelled in the face of a deepening hunger crisis and fears the world's youngest country could slide back into war. Tens of thousands have died in a civil war since December 2013 that has left the economy in ruins, forcing the government to abandon independence celebrations for the first time since secession from Sudan. ALBERT GONZALEZ FARRAN / AFP

(FILES) This file photo taken on May 11, 2016 shows internally displaced people (IDPs) recently arrived in Wau, South Sudan, due to armed clashes in surrounding villages, waiting to be registered by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the World Food Programme (WFP) on May 11, 2016. South Sudan marks five years of independence on July 9 with celebrations cancelled in the face of a deepening hunger crisis and fears the world’s youngest country could slide back into war. Tens of thousands have died in a civil war since December 2013 that has left the economy in ruins, forcing the government to abandon independence celebrations for the first time since secession from Sudan.<br />ALBERT GONZALEZ FARRAN / AFP

Gunfire was once again heard in South Sudan’s capital on Sunday as former rebels and government soldiers exchanged fire on the outskirts of the city.

“Gunshots, heavily armed exchange UN House area once again; going on now since approx. 0825 (0525 GMT),” the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said on Twitter.

The UN runs a camp for people uprooted by the war close to where both former rebels and government soldiers are camped.

Residents fled the area as the UN reported the use of mortars, rocket-propelled grenades and “heavy ground assault weaponry”.

A spokesman for former rebel leader turned vice president Riek Machar blamed government troops.

“Our forces have been attacked at Jebel base,” said James Gatdet Dak, who claimed the attack had been repulsed. “We hope it will not escalate,” he said.

The outbreak of fighting on Sunday morning was the first since Friday when brief but heavy exchanges of fire left an estimated 150 soldiers dead on both sides, on the eve of the country’s fifth anniversary of independence.

There were no details of casualties from Sunday’s shooting.

The recent violence in the world’s youngest country represents yet another blow to a shaky peace deal that has so far failed to end the civil war that broke out in December 2013 when President Salva Kiir accused Machar of plotting a coup.

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