The U.S Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power has urged the Security Council to act immediately to avoid a recurrence of violence in South Sudan.
Violence erupted in Juba three weeks ago between forces of the SPLA and the SPLA-IO.
The Voice of America quoted, Samantha Power, who was speaking at the UN Security Council meeting as saying, time has come for the Council to “act in order to end conflicts in South Sudan”.
“In immediate terms this means working with and pressing South Sudan’s leadership to provide security in Juba, to safeguard freedom of movement and to provide for unfettered humanitarian access,” she said, urging the Security Council to support IGAD and the African Union’s proposal for deploying regional intervention force to strengthen the United Nations Mission in South Sudan.
“This also means answering IGAD and the African Union’s call for strengthening the United Nations Mission in South Sudan so that the mission can better protect civilians and help establish a secure environment so the parties can in fact make a political progress.”
The reaction of US Ambassador to the United Nations came following a report by UNMISS on Wednesday, which said there have been at least 120 cases of sexual violence and rape against civilians in Juba since fighting erupted three weeks ago.