Off the wire
• China Focus: Premier Li wraps up Macao visit, announces support measures  • Ukrainian army draws over 50,000 contract soldiers this year: official  • Foreign sales dominate Nairobi bourse trading for second day  • Lao officials trained for China-Laos railway  • Interview: Innovation gives impetus for elevating China-Belgium ties: ambassador  • Technical experts meeting scheduled for late October between OPEC and non-cartel members  • Nadal suffers shock defeat in Shanghai Masters  • KMT chair to attend cross-Strait peaceful development forum in Beijing  • Bach calls for "much stronger" WADA  • China bans controversial full-body X-ray scanners  
You are here: 　 Home

S. Sudan says open to dialogue with UN over protection troops

Xinhua, October 13, 2016 Adjust font size:

South Sudan said on Wednesday that it is open to further dialogue and cooperation with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) on the deployment of additional 4,000 strong protection troops and ensuring U.N. officials unhindered access in the country.

President Salva Kiir's spokesman Ateny Wek Ateny told Xinhua in Juba that the UNMISS is free to move anywhere in the country provided the government is consulted for security purposes.

This came after UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said early this week in a confidential letter leaked to media that the government was undermining a UN Security Council(UNSC) resolution approved in August to deploy additional troops to the UNMISS peacekeeping force.

The UNSC is expected to sit within five days in New York to consider arms embargo proposal on the war-torn country in the wake of renewed violence in July between warring parties.

Ateny revealed that they are considering troops to form up the protection force from countries like Angola, Tanzania, South Africa, Rwanda and Senegal based on their perceived neutrality in the South Sudan conflict.

Meanwhile, UNMISS on Wednesday confirmed fighting in Unity state's Leer town after it reported heavy artillery and gunfire exchanges between South Sudan Army (SPLA) and SPLA-in opposition rebels.

"UNMISS force in Leer town have reported heavy artillery and gunfire exchange between Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) and SPLA-In-Opposition, leading to several reported deaths and the continued displacement of the civilian population in the area into the bush and swamps," the statement said. Endit