S. Sudan denies blocking UN mission from accessing troubled region

<p>The United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in South Sudan (<span class="caps">UNMISS</span>) has claimed that the South Sudan army has prevented it from conducting patrols to rescue people who recently fled clashes near Malakal town located along the White Nile.</p> <p><span class="caps">UNMISS</span> has estimated that approximately thirty thousand civilians have been displaced after violent clashes were reported in Malakal, the second largest city, between the government forces and rebel groups.</p> <p>The UN mission intends to reach the upper Nile, one of the most affected provinces in South Sudan to assess the humanitarian conditions.</p> <p>On the other hand, the South Sudan government operatives have denied such allegations.</p> <p>Political rivalry between South Sudan President Salva Kiir, an ethnic Dinka, and his former deputy Riek Machar, a Nuer, led to civil war in 2013 that has often followed ethnic lines.</p> <p>The two signed a shaky peace deal in 2015, but fighting has continued. Machar fled in July 2016 and is now in South Africa.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UNMISS?src=hash">#UNMISS</a> Head concludes 2-day visit to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Malakal?src=hash">#Malakal</a>, reiterates UN’s commitment to support <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SouthSudan?src=hash">#SouthSudan</a> government in the peace process. <a href="https://t.co/leARQawUqs">pic.twitter.com/leARQawUqs</a></p>— Radio Miraya (@RadioMiraya) <a href="https://twitter.com/RadioMiraya/status/832197851979608068">February 16, 2017</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>