A senior U.S official says the United Nations Security Council and the African Union must take action against the warring parties if they fail to bring lasting peace to South Sudan.

The U.S. Chargé d’Affaires in South Sudan, Ambassador Charles Twining, told the media in Juba this morning that they don’t want to see any failure from the side of the warring parties.

He says if the parties fail to reach an agreement, the Security Council must take action and rescue the situation in South Sudan. But he did not mention what kind of action he believes would end the conflict.

“We have all heard that Nasir and Bentiu have been having shelling. We don’t want to see this go on and on, because it is only the innocent civilians who suffer when all of these happen. So all of us will have to take a new look if there is a failure. We don’t want to see a failure.” Twining said.

The next round of IGAD mediated peace talks is scheduled to resume next week.

The mediators have given the government and the SPLM-SPLA in Opposition two weeks to reach a peace deal by the 5^th of next month.