American UN Ambassador Nikki Haley had to be evacuated from South Sudan during a humanitarian visit to the war torn country, after protesters threatened to overtake her camp.
The United Nations says there was never any specific threat made against Haley, but that Sudanese demonstrators flooded the streets outside where she was staying, asking for a meeting and chanting for peace. Since an earlier protest against the government became violent, the UN says they instructed Haley to leave as quickly as possible.
Although celebrities like George Clooney, who once proudly lobbied the US government to assist the war-torn nation, have lost interest in the situation in Sudan, the country’s civil war has not ended, and thousands of people are still without food or shelter.
Haley was in South Sudan as part of a three-nation Africa tour, and was scheduled to visit one of South Sudan’s many refugee camps, where around 30,000 displaced people have created a temporary home. Haley was forced to leave before she could visit the camp, but did get to complete some of her itinerary.
She also got out some harsh words for Sudan’s leadership.
“We are disappointed by what we are seeing. This is not what we thought we were investing in,” Haley told media Wednesday. “What we thought we were investing in was a free, fair society where people could be safe and South Sudan is the opposite of that.”
Her primary concern, she said, was that the Sudanese were still forcing children to join the military and fight in the ongoing civil war, a violation of International Law and a practice that Sudan had pledged to discontinue. “Our concern is for the children, these children who are getting into armed conflict as early as 9 years old, these children who are not being educated,” Haley said. “Those are the future leaders of South Sudan.”
On Thursday Haley will visit the Congo, also struggling with violent unrest.