We all knew that there were political tensions. Yet none of us believed it enough to change our plans or everyday routines. None of us expected fighting to erupt. It was December 15 2013, and I was in South Sudan. Like many people there, I was distracted by plans for Christmas – what food would we eat, what plane would I take home. Then fighting erupted in the capital between factions of South Sudan’s army. Familiar busy streets emptied to become a frightening, militarised landscape.
As governments struggle to get their citizens out of Sudan’s capital Khartoum after two weeks of fighting that left hundreds dead, a friend and I have been exchanging messages about our memories of the 2013 evacuations.
In December 2013, fighting in Juba started in the evening. The next day everyone hid at home, shops closed and the streets remained empty of those who were not fighting.
