South Sudan: 25,000 displaced in fresh violence

Some 25,000 people have been displaced following fresh fighting in South Sudan’s town of Kodok on Tuesday. According to humanitarian group Doctors Without Borders, the violence came just one day after a top UN official in the country warned of a government offensive on the town.

Reports say the offensive in Kodok has caused disarray among rebel leader Johnson Olony and his Shilluk forces.

Meanwhile UN’s panel of experts for South Sudan has urged the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to impose travel bans on military commanders sanctioned by the Security Council, and also freeze their assets.

The Security Council had last week sanctioned six commanders from the government and opposition forces for committing atrocities since the start of the country’s civil war in 2013.

The experts also renewed calls for the imposition of an arms embargo on the country and the South Sudanese government is expected to issue its response on Friday.