South Sudan still has Unexploded Ordinances, UXOs, due to conflicts, the UN Mines Action Service has said.

Unexploded ordinances are explosive weapons that did not explode when they were used and still pose a risk of detonation.

They include bombs, bullets, shells, grenades and landmines, which expose local communities to the threat of death or injury.

The Chief of Operations of the UN Mines Action Service, Robert Thompson, says the Equatoria region was highly concentrated with UXOs during decades of civil war, before independence.

However, he says now the whole country is equally contaminated by the unexploded ordinance as a result of the recent conflict.

“But we are also finding that because of the recent conflict that the UXOs are now spreading to the north where the fighting has been around Bentiu and Upper Nile areas,” Mr Thompson said.

Mr Thompson says in 2016 alone UNMAS cleared over 20,000 UXOs and covered an area of 27 million square kilometers of land.

In case members of the public suspects there is unexploded ordinance in their residential area,  Mr Thompson has advised that they call 0920-001-055.