South Sudan: UN calls for additional peacekeepers

The United Nations security council has called for additional peacekeepers as a response to the ongoing fight between rival groups in South Sudan.

The global body also called on the warring factions in the country to immediately end the recent fighting and prevent spread of violence.

The council in a statement condemned the current fight “in strong terms” and expressed shock and outrage at attacks on UN sites.

Hundreds have died as a result of clashes between rival groups since Friday.

Forces loyal to Vice President Riek Machar said government troops supporting president Salva Kiir attacked their positions in the capital, Juba.

A spokesman for Machar told BBC on Sunday that the small north-east African nation was “back to war” but information Minister Michael Makuei Lueth described reports of war as “dishonest”.

According to the UN, a Chinese peacekeeper was killed and several Chinese and Rwandan troops injured.

Fighting broke out on Thursday between troops loyal to president Kiir and those loyal to Vice president Machar and has persisted through to Sunday.

Many civilians have been forced to flee their homes as a result of violence.

“The condition is really very bad. We have a lot of casualties this side, I think around 50 to 60 besides those of yesterday,” said Budbud Chol who oversees security at a clinic in the base.

He said among the wounded were five children and two women while the rest were men.