Japan's ambassador to South Sudan is sheltering in a Ground Self-Defense Force facility used for its peacekeeping operation in the nation's capital amid ongoing unrest, sources have said.

Masahiko Kiya as well as an embassy staff member are said to be staying at the facility at night for their protection, the sources said Wednesday.

The continued presence of the SDF could be brought into question by the revelation that safety cannot be guaranteed even within the embassy, which contains the ambassador's residence and living quarters for staff.