SPLA-IO has called upon the United Nations Mission in South Sudan to deploy troops in Leer County, Southern Liech State, to protect displaced civilians.

According to humanitarian groups, about thousands of civilians fled their homes due to fresh clashes which occurred in Leer, Mayandit, and Panyinjiar counties recently.

It’s unclear who is fighting who there, but government and SPLM-IO forces have engaged in hostilities in the state (former Unity) since the conflict broke out in December 2013.

The SPLA in Opposition in a press statement it released today called on UNMISS to double its effort and heavily protect the civil populations.

It requested UNMISS to deploy “at lease a battalion permanently” to prevent conflict-related sexual violence and “to avoid further’ deaths ‘and destructions.’