UN deploys peacekeepers in South Sudan’s restive Aburoc town

JUBA, May 7 (Xinhua) — The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said Sunday it has deployed peacekeeping troops to Aburoc in the Upper Nile region to help enable the delivery of much needed humanitarian assistance.

Head of UNMISS David Shearer said the peacekeeping troops’ immediate focus will be on securing the roads to provide safe passage for the delivery and collection of water and other assistance by humanitarian groups.

“The aim is to provide humanitarian groups with the confidence they need to resume the provision of urgent assistance to tens of thousands of people in Aburoc who are fleeing the ongoing violence,” Shearer said in a statement issued in Juba.

South Sudan slipped back into conflict due to renewed clashes between rival forces – the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) loyal to President Salva Kiir and the SPLA in Opposition backing former First Vice-President Riek Machar despite the August 2015 peace agreement.

“This short-term deployment is a response to an immediate need and will provide a light and temporary peacekeeping footprint in the area,” Shearer said.

There is a risk of old landmines on the road between Kodok and Auburoc so the UN Mine Action Service is currently assessing the situation and will remove any unexploded ordnance to reduce the threat and enable people to move freely.

About 50,000 people are sheltering in and around the town of Aburoc on the west bank of the River Nile after a series of clashes between government and opposition forces. The most urgent humanitarian need is to provide safe drinking water.

Civilians in Aburoc now find themselves in areas controlled by the opposition armed group, facing a military offensive by the government forces.

“Without a secure supply of clean water, there is a risk of an outbreak of diarrhea or even cholera which has the potential to kill thousands of vulnerable people. It is vital that our humanitarian partners are able to get this water and other aid through to alleviate the suffering,” Shearer said.

He noted that the SPLA has acknowledged UNMISS’ intention to help facilitate the provision of humanitarian assistance to the people of the Upper Nile.