News / Africa Today

UN warns of ‘genocide’ in South Sudan

Wednesday, 28 December 2016 5:05 AM [ Last Update: Saturday, 31 December 2016 8:10 AM ]

Soldiers of the Sudan People Liberation Army (SPLA) sit in a pick-up truck at the military base in Malakal, northern South Sudan, on October 16, 2016. (Photo by AFP)

The situation in South Sudan is verging on genocide - so says outgoing United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

Like many in the international community, he fears the current stand-off between political rivals Salva Kiir, South Sudan’s president, and his former deputy Riek Machar, could escalate and descend the newly-independent nation into another period of civil war, like the one the country experienced in 2013. So who is stepping forward to try and find a solution to this crisis?

The UN seems pretty ineffectual despite thousands of troops on the ground, with the international community conflicted about what exactly needs to be done to settle the crisis.

Ban’s plea to the Security Council for an arms embargo on the country has so far been ignored, but would that actually help to restore peace to the world’s youngest nation?

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South Sudan