New York/Juba, January 24, 2017 (SSNA) — The United Nations (UN) says it has received credible reports of renewed fighting between South Sudan national army (SPLA) and armed opposition in Central Equatoria, UN Spokesman told reporters today.
The UN calls for an immediate end to the fighting and urges ‘an inclusive political process’.
In his remarks on South Sudan, Stephane Dujarric, the Spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, said at the news conference in New York that the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) received reports of killing and displacement of civilians.
“Meanwhile, the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has received reports of fighting between the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and opposition in Central Equatoria on Sunday. It is also following up on reports of civilians killed and displaced towards the border areas. The UN Mission has also received reports of clashes in Obbo Payam in Magwi County in Eastern Equatoria over the weekend and is seeking to verify reports of civilian casualties,” Stephane said in a prepared statement seen by the South Sudan News Agency.
In the document, Stephane reiterates the need for “an immediate cessation of hostilities and an inclusive political process, “adding that the UN “continues to protect some 224,000 civilians in [the] protection of civilians’ sites across the country, with less than half being protected in the actual sites in Bentiu in Unity State.”
On Monday, the United Nations Security Council called for “swift deployment” of more peacekeepers to South Sudan and urges Juba to comply with its mandate.