A delegation of the UN Security Council is reportedly planning a trip to South Sudan next week to persuade the government to accept a new regional protection force.

Kenyan Television News24 reports that ambassadors from the 15-member council are scheduled to travel to Juba from 2^nd to 7^th September for meetings on the proposed 4,000-strong force to be deployed to strengthen the UN peacekeeping mission.

The world body threatened to impose an arms embargo on South Sudan if UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon reports within a month that Juba is not co-operating with the plan for the regional force.

The government had expressed reservations about the proposed deployment that was authorised by the Security Council two weeks ago and has called for further discussions.

The government says it wants to know the mandate of this protection force.

During his visit to the Sudanese capital Khartoum last week, the First Vice President Taban Deng Gai, told reporters that his government wants to sit with the Council members in Juba, not in New York.