US condemns South Sudan for preventing civilians from fleeing Juba fighting

Displaced South Sudanese families sit in a camp for internally displaced people in the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) compound in Tomping, Juba, South Sudan, July 11, 2016. PHOTO: REUTERS

WASHINGTON: The US State Department on Friday condemned actions by South Sudan's government to prevent civilians from leaving the country after recent fighting and voiced concern about the beating and detention of some politicians.

State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau said the situation in the capital Juba remained "fluid" but the United States still believed it was possible the country's longtime political adversaries could come together to restore order.