East African leaders will gather in Ethiopia on Friday to discuss a regional intervention force to back up UN troops in South Sudan, an initiative vehemently opposed by President Salva Kiir.
Regional bloc IGAD has raised the possibility of deploying an "intervention brigade" with a more aggressive mandate within the UN mission currently present.
The 12,000-strong UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, UNMISS, has faced criticism for failing to stem the latest bloodshed or fully protect civilians during the fighting.
This handout photo provided by the United Nations Mission in the Republic of South Sudan and released on July 16, 2016 shows women doing laundry as people collect water at the UN compound in the Tomping area in Juba ©Beatrice Maregwa (AFP/File)
Juba was rocked by several days of heavy fighting in early July between the government forces of Kiir and those loyal to ex-rebel chief Riek Machar, the latest upsurge in two and half years of war.
Goi Jooyul Yol, a spokesman for Machar, told AFP in Addis Ababa "the only hope is a protection force. There is no security for the moment in Juba."
The mooted force for South Sudan would be modelled on the Force Intervention Brigade of 3,000 troops deployed within the UN's mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which proved decisive in neutralising the M23 rebellion in 2013.
Former vice-president Machar has refused to come back to Juba until the deployment of a neutral force of African troops -- a plan approved by the the US and African Union but rejected by Kiir.
"The peace agreement has collapsed. They have to find a way forward to restore calm in South Sudan," Jooyul added. Neither Kiir nor Machar is expected to attend the event.
Nearly 300 people have died in the violence so far, while 60,000 have fled the country.
On Wednesday, Kiir gave an interview to Kenya's KTN TV in which he once again dismissed the idea of the force.
"I don't see the reason why there should be a foreign intervention, to come and do what? there is no fighting in Juba," he said, comparing it to trespassing on his property.
Newer articles:
- South Sudan 'to get new peacekeeping force' - 05/08/2016 15:26
- South Sudan accepts deployment of regional force: IGAD - 05/08/2016 15:18
- South Sudan rejects U.N.accusations of rape, killing by its soldiers - 05/08/2016 02:40
- Food Shortages and Sexual Assault for South Sudan’s Displaced - 04/08/2016 12:23
- South Sudan Security Forces Are Raping And Killing Civilians: UN - 04/08/2016 12:03
Older news items
- 217 cases of sexual violence in South Sudan, UN reports - 04/08/2016 06:39
- Wrenching Choice in South Sudan: Starve or Risk Rape - 04/08/2016 02:00
- South Sudan humanitarian situation could worsen: UN - 03/08/2016 04:21
- South Sudan president fires ministers allied to rival Machar - 03/08/2016 02:04
- South Sudan violence leads 60,000 to flee, U.N. says - 02/08/2016 22:26
Latest news items (all categories):
- South Sudan needs ‘civic education’ before elections, says bishop - 16/01/2025 16:42
- South Sudan parties set to resume peace talks in Kenya - 16/01/2025 16:39
- Abandoned but not forgotten – the invisible crisis in South Sudan - 16/01/2025 16:35
- The SAF has committed barbaric atrocities against South Sudanese refugees in Wad Medani - 16/01/2025 16:27
- Syria 2025: The historical Syrian project: From revolution to a modern inclusive civil state - 16/01/2025 16:10
Random articles (all categories):
- Stunning graphic novel shows aid workers fighting hunger and fear in South Sudan - 11/04/2017 04:15
- South Sudan workers Union calls on university lecturers to halt strike - 08/10/2013 22:33
- ICRC dramatically increases its budget in Ethiopia and Sudan as needs grow at an alarming rate - 28/05/2021 01:18
- How a South-Sudanese superstar (Gordon Koang) found home in Australia with the help of an indie-punk label - 03/09/2019 22:06
- John Deere expands its construction equipment line-up to 18 African countries including South Sudan - 24/03/2021 02:57
Popular articles:
- Who is the darkest person in the world, according to Guinness World Record? - 25/10/2022 02:34 - Read 61623 times
- No oil in troubled waters - 25/03/2014 15:02 - Read 22305 times
- School exam results in South Sudan show decline - 01/04/2012 17:58 - Read 21491 times
- NDSU student from South Sudan receives scholarship - In-Forum - 29/09/2012 01:44 - Read 19058 times
- Top 10 weakest currency exchange rates in Africa in 2023 - 19/07/2023 00:24 - Read 18785 times