UN chief urges efforts to refrain from targeting civilians in South Sudan

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon on Wednesday urged both government and opposition leaders in South Sudan to make it clear to the public that "the targeting of civilians will not be tolerated" and he wanted all warring parties in the world's youngest country to "know that those responsible for serious human rights violations will be held accountable for their actions."

"Political leaders on both sides must make unequivocal public statements that the targeting of civilians will not be tolerated," Ban said in a statement issued by his spokesman here. "All parties to the conflict must know that those responsible for serious human rights violations will be held accountable for their actions."

The statement came on the eve of the fourth anniversary of the independence of South Sudan, which was officially declared independent on July 9, 2011, following a referendum in which around 99 percent of the southerners voted for its secession from Sudan.

The UN chief recalled he stood in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, four years ago with masses of proud citizens and watched the flag rise for the first time over the newest member state of the United Nations, South Sudan.

"I will never forget the sense of joy and hope," Ban said. " Those memories are all the more painful to recall today as we mark the fourth anniversary of a country where hope is in short supply. "

"The violence that has ravaged South Sudan over the past 18 months proves that there can never be a military solution to this conflict," he said. "I therefore call on all leaders of South Sudan -- particularly President Kiir and former Vice-President Riek Machar -- to prove their leadership by investing in a political solution and immediately concluding a comprehensive peace agreement."

"At the same time, the international community must take decisive steps to help end the fighting," Ban said.

South Sudan's civil war and violence started in mid-December 2013. Political efforts so far have failed to bring an end to the conflict, and the outlook for the affected populations remains grim.

Recent weeks have seen an escalation in violence in Unity and Upper Nile states, with heavy fighting forcing tens of thousands of people to flee to the bush and swamplands, to areas that are difficult to reach.

"The South Sudanese people face suffering, unconscionable levels of violence and unspeakable sexual abuse," the statement said. "Instead of the progress and development for which we all hoped and in which the international community invested, more than 1.6 million people have been displaced, including over 150,000 now seeking refuge in UNMISS protection sites."

UNMISS stands for the UN Mission in South Sudan, which was set up by the UN Security Council on July 8, 2011 with a mandate of the protection of civilians, human rights monitoring, and supporting for the delivery of humanitarian assistance.

Some 4.6 million face severe food insecurity and more than 600, 000 have been forced to flee into neighboring countries, according to the statement. The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said Tuesday that more than 730,000 South Sudanese are refugees and some 1.5 million have become internally displaced.

"Brave and dedicated humanitarian workers and United Nations staff continue to operate in dangerous and dire conditions," it said. "I demand that the parties respect international humanitarian law and ensure unfettered access to those in need."

"I reaffirm the commitment of the United Nations to support a political solution in South Sudan while continuing to make every effort to provide vulnerable populations with protection and humanitarian assistance," Ban said in the statement.

"I commend the efforts by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and the African Union to prevail upon the parties to forge a political solution," he said. "It is important that we show the parties a single way forward, with the full support of the region and the international community."

"Peace, development and human rights are the birthright of all the people of South Sudan," the statement said. "The promise of a new nation that they celebrated four years ago must finally be redeemed."