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Violence condemned on UN mission base in northeast South Sudan

Xinhua, February 19, 2016 Adjust font size:

The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) on Thursday strongly condemned the violence on its Protection of Civilians site in Malakal in the northeast region of the world's youngest nation, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters here.

"Violence involving the use of small arms, machetes and other weapons broke out between youths from the Shilluk and Dinka communities late last night," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said at a daily news briefing here.

According to preliminary reports of the Mission, five internally displaced persons were killed and some 30 others injured in the violence.

"The violence has continued this morning," the spokesman said, adding that the UN Mission "is calling on all communities to refrain from violence, restore calm and resolve differences through dialogue."

The UN Mission has increased perimeter patrolling while physically securing areas in the vicinity of the Protection of Civilians' site. The Mission is also engaging with local authorities in Malakal to de-escalate the situation, according to the spokesman.

"The Mission reminds all concerned, including security forces, of the civilian characteristic of the compound, and the sanctity of UN assets and personnel as well as that of the civilians protected inside the UN compound," he said. "Such an attack against civilians and UN premises may constitute a war crime."

UNMISS protects more than 47,000 civilians in Malakal and almost 200,000 civilians at six bases throughout South Sudan.

The UN Mission was established by the council on July 9, 2011, the day when South Sudan became an independent country after decades of civil war between the north and south of Sudan, which ended in 2005 with the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.

Fighting broke out in South Sudan in December 2013 when President Salva Kiir accused his sacked deputy Riek Machar of attempting a coup.

The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people, driving 1.5 million South Sudanese from their homes and leaving almost 5 million more people in dire need of humanitarian assistance. Endit