South Sudan wants civilians to leave protected UN bases

United Nations (United States) (AFP) - South Sudan's UN ambassador said Wednesday that nearly 180,000 people sheltering in UN bases in his war-torn country should be encouraged to return home despite ongoing fighting.

Ambassador Francis Deng told the UN Security Council that the bases were never meant to hold such large numbers of people and that peacekeepers should broaden their protection to areas outside the camps.

The UN's six bases in South Sudan have taken in nearly 180,000 unarmed civilians fleeing attacks and horrendous violence since civil war broke out two years ago this month.

Close to 100,000 people are under the protection of UN peacekeepers at their base in Bentiu, the capital of Unity State, where some of the worst fighting has raged.

Despite a peace accord signed in August the civilians have remained at the six UN sites as the violence has continued with ethnic attacks, killings of civilians, recruitment of child soldiers and rape.

"As we begin the implementation of the peace agreement, both the government of South Sudan and UNMISS should jointly find a way to encourage the civilians in the protection sites to return to their homes," Deng said, referring to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan.

The ambassador, explaining his concern about life on the bases, said there had been violent incidents in the camps and that displaced South Sudanese were subjected to "poor living conditions due to overcrowding."

The Security Council met to discuss changes to the mandate of the 12,500-strong UN peacekeeping mission to support early steps in the peace accord such as ceasefire monitoring.

- Extra troops -

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has asked for 500 extra troops and 600 police, along with helicopters and drones to help the mission enforce the peace deal.

Ban said in a report to the council that the additional police would bolster protection at the UN bases and that at least 270 extra officers should be sent to Bentiu.

South Sudan descended into war in December 2013 when President Salva Kiir accused his sacked deputy Riek Machar of planning a coup, setting off a cycle of killings that split the country along ethnic lines.

Both men signed the peace accord in August under heavy pressure from the United Nations, which threatened sanctions.

But UN peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous told the council that the ceasefire agreed by the two sides had failed to stop the fighting.

"What we are witnessing on the ground is a continuation of the fighting to consolidate positions before the beginning of the transition," he said.

Ladsous made clear that the peace effort was ultimately in the hands of South Sudan's leaders.

"No amount of troops or police can replace the political will required of the leaders of South Sudan to bring an end to their conflict," he said.

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