UN condemns attack on its compound in South Sudan

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) on Thursday condemned an attack on its compound in South Sudan's Bentiu region where a grenade partly damaged one of the containers located in the humanitarian hub.

In a statement issued in Juba, UNMISS said the Monday attack was carried out by armed forces who used the rocket propelled grenade that landed inside the perimeter of the compound.

"Initial investigations indicate that the projectile, along with earlier small arms fire, was directly targeted at the UNMISS compound," the mission said in the statement.

The statement said the location of the UNMISS compound is well known and there were no known armed forces in the vicinity of the base at the time of the attack.

"The UN takes this opportunity to remind all South Sudanese actors of the sanctity of UN staff, equipment and installations, including the protection of civilians sites and their residents," the statement continued.

The attack came a day before the arrival of South Sudan rebel leader Dr. Riek Machar who took up the post of vice president as part of the August 2015 peace deal to end more than two years of civil war.

Humanitarian agencies have expressed optimism that the return of the former rebel leader would lead to a permanent ceasefire and thus allow unhindered relief supplies to vulnerable populations.

Civil war erupted in December 2013 when President Salva Kiir accused his former deputy Machar of planning a coup, setting off a cycle of retaliatory killings that have split the country along ethnic lines. Enditem