JUBA South Sudan’s civil war has mutated from a two-way fight between the president and his ousted former deputy to a fragmented conflict, making it harder to put it back together and peace more elusive, the top U.N. peacekeeper in the country said.David Shearer, head of the 13,000-strong United Nations mission, welcomed signs that regional leaders were rejuvenating the peace process but said any initiative must include all factions, including that of former Vice President Riek Machar, and discourage the multiplication of armed groups.South Sudan slipped into civil war in 2013, just two years after becoming independent from Khartoum, and some 4 million people – around one third of the population – have fled to neighbouring countries or to pockets of relative safety.The conflict, ignited by a feud between President Salva Kiir and Machar, has resulted in ethnic cleansing between the leaders’ respective Dinka and Nuer communities. However, an escalation of fighting since last July that forced Machar to flee the country a month later has seen clashes spread to previously unaffected areas."The situation now is somewhat different to what it was a year ago, when it was largely bipolar," Shearer told Reuters in an interview late on Monday. "We are seeing a lot more of the conflict being played out at a very local level and that is worrying because as it fractures it becomes more difficult to try to put the pieces back together again." Fighting has in particular affected the southern Equatoria regions, previously largely spared violence. The spike in fighting resulted in South Sudan having the fastest growing refugee population in the world as civilians poured into Uganda.Tens of thousands of civilians have fled to camps within South Sudan that are ringed by U.N. troops. Peacekeepers have frequently been criticised for failing to do enough to protect civilians but the U.N. leadership says troops are obstructed and restricted by the army. A combination of red tape and unwillingness meant it took eight months for the first of 4,000 U.N. reinforcements approved to start deploying after last year's fighting.PLACES AT THE TABLE Analysts and diplomats say regional peace efforts have stumbled for much of the last year as Uganda, Ethiopia and Kenya adopted a more bilateral approach to the conflict. But Shearer was optimistic that a recent meeting of regional leaders in Ethiopia would result in a more collective approach to the crisis. "There was a sense that they want to rejuvenate the peace agreement and start moving that forward. That collective effort hasn’t been apparent for the last year," he said.Machar remains in exile in South Africa, excluded from the process. Shearer said while regional leaders were reluctant to return to the "old formula" of insisting on a potentially explosive face-to-face between Kiir and Machar, there was recognition that Machar’s camp needed to be represented in talks and he could too, further down the line. The U.N. chief said there was a delicate balance between a rejuvenated and broadened push for peace and creating incentives to add to the plethora of armed groups. "What we don’t want to do is to encourage a greater degree of conflict or arming of groups in order to be relevant and have a place at the table," he warned. (Editing by Michael Perry)
Newer articles:
- South Sudan war and famine: World's newest nation sparks Africa's worst refugee crisis - 20/06/2017 06:09
- South Sudan soldiers charged in hotel attack say not guilty - 20/06/2017 05:19
- War leaves no winners, only rubble in Bentiu - 20/06/2017 05:16
- Uganda, UN seek $8 billion for South Sudanese refugees - 20/06/2017 04:00
- Take greater responsibility for your people, U.N. refugee chief tells South Sudan - 19/06/2017 23:19
Older news items
- South Sudan Crisis Forcing Teenagers Into Parental Roles – UNICEF - 19/06/2017 21:19
- Canada contributes $86M more to South Sudan, epicentre of refugee crisis - 19/06/2017 13:55
- World Refugee Day 2017: Crisis in South Sudan, world's fastest growing refugee emergency - 19/06/2017 11:19
- UN: Number of global displaced up to 65.6 million last year - 19/06/2017 01:54
- Audio - South Sudan: the fastest growing refugee crisis - 19/06/2017 01:43
Latest news items (all categories):
- The power struggles among South Sudan’s political leaders are the direct cause of its ongoing conflict - 11/07/2026 14:03
- Celebrating Independence In The Midst Of Sorrow - 11/07/2026 13:41
- South Sudan resumes oil-backed financing - 11/07/2026 13:33
- Press statement: Strive For National Unity In Honor Of South Sudan's Independence - 10/07/2026 21:23
- Fifteen years of independence for South Sudan, but still little to celebrate - 10/07/2026 21:23
Random articles (all categories):
- South Sudan: The Dilemma of Peace and Accountability - 18/08/2014 11:20
- Sudan's Bashir is in prison, but his officials are sweeping back into power - 11/04/2022 03:57
- Another deal, but South Sudan far from peace - 12/06/2014 07:00
- South Sudan: Unity government formation set for delay - 22/01/2016 01:33
- South Sudan army sinks its own boat, killing 10 - CBS News - 16/09/2012 14:47
Popular articles:
- Who is the darkest person in the world, according to Guinness World Record? - 25/10/2022 02:34 - Read 147773 times
- School exam results in South Sudan show decline - 01/04/2012 17:58 - Read 27845 times
- Top 10 weakest currency exchange rates in Africa in 2023 - 19/07/2023 00:24 - Read 24935 times
- No oil in troubled waters - 25/03/2014 15:02 - Read 24255 times
- NDSU student from South Sudan receives scholarship - In-Forum - 29/09/2012 01:44 - Read 22166 times
