UN urges South Sudanese warring parties to cease hostilities

The United Nations said on Saturday that it was "disturbed by the escalation of violence and subsequent suffering of civilians in South Sudan," and urged the government and other warring parties to cease hostilities in the world's youngest country.

"We are disturbed by the escalation of violence and subsequent suffering of civilians in South Sudan as a result of the recent government offensive," UN spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said in a statement.

"We urge the government and other warring parties to cease hostilities, uphold their responsibility to protect civilians and cooperate with the United Nations and other humanitarian actors to ensure safe access to all civilians in imminent danger along the West Bank of the River Nile," the statement said.

"The renewed upsurge in fighting represents a callous and blatant disregard of the pledges" made during the March 25 summit of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to implement a ceasefire and to facilitate humanitarian access, said the statement.

"There can be no military solution to the crisis in South Sudan," the statement said. "We hope regional and international partners will join us in encouraging the parties to return urgently to the negotiating table, and we remain committed to working with the African Union and IGAD to secure a peaceful resolution of the conflict."

The body tasked with monitoring South Sudan's peace agreement warned on Wednesday that increasing hunger crisis and escalation in violence have undermined all efforts to make peace in the war-torn African nation.

Festus Mogae, Chairperson of the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC), said that South Sudan now faces crisis within crisis amid rising prices of basic items, criminality, violence and businesses shutting down.

South Sudan has been embroiled in more than three years of conflict that has have taken a devastating toll on the people.

A peace deal signed in August 2015 between the rival leaders under UN pressure led to the establishment of a transitional unity government in April 2016, but was shattered by renewed fighting in July 2016.

The United Nations estimates that 1.5 million people have been forced into neighboring countries and another 7.5 million people across the country are in need of humanitarian assistance and protection, and a localized famine declared in February in parts of northern unity state. Endit