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LAGOS, July 22 (Xinhua) -- There were no urgent need to evacuate Nigerians in South Sudan as there are no immediate threats to their lives and property, the government said Friday.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, who disclosed this to reporters alongside the concluded African Union (AU) meeting in Kigali, Rwanda, said Nigerians in Juba were not under any threat, as contacts with them are made regularly and situation being assessed.
The minister said most Nigerians doing businesses in the crisis-ridden country have returned to their location due to the ceasefire agreed upon by the warring parties.
"We got in touch with National Security Adviser and the Ministry of Defense to explore the options in evacuating some of our citizens," he said.
"And of course, we are in touch with the Nigerian embassy in the country, there is a relative calm and peace in the country because the parties involved in the crisis have agreed to a ceasefire," he added.
According to him, Nigerians held up in the embassy have now gone back to their normal businesses and we were advised by the embassy that the war had passed and it was no longer necessary to take such drastic steps.
Onyeama said although the situation could degenerate again, the situation was being monitored adding that Nigerians in Juba will be protected.
Fighting broke out on July 7, in Juba, South Sudan, the world's newest country.
Hundreds of people, mostly soldiers, have been reportedly killed in the fighting between rival armed groups since then, raising fears of a slide back into all-out conflict.
Uneasy calm has returned to South Sudan's capital, Juba, last Tuesday after five days of fierce fighting between troops loyal to President Salva Kiir and First Vice-President Riek Machar.
The relative calm comes after the two leaders ordered a ceasefire and directed all commanders to lay down arms and report to their unit bases.
More than 270 people were killed in the renewed fighting that threatened to plunge the world's youngest nation into war. Enditem
