SOUTH SUDAN: U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry holds talks with Hilde Johnson, head of the U.N. mission in South Sudan to push for a halt to more than four months of fighting in Africa's newest nation

Record ID: 349947

  • Title: SOUTH SUDAN: U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry holds talks with Hilde Johnson, head of the U.N. mission in South Sudan to push for a halt to more than four months of fighting in Africa's newest nation
  • Date: 2nd May 2014
  • Summary: JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN (MAY 2, 2014) (REUTERS) ***CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE JOHN KERRY WALKING WITH HEAD OF THE U.N. MISSION TO SOUTH SUDAN, HILDA JOHNSON VARIOUS OF KERRY SHAKING HAND WITH UN PEACEKEEPERS VARIOUS OF UN PEACEKEEPERS POSING FOR PHOTO WITH KERRY VARIOUS OF KERRY MEETING WITH JOHNSON
  • Embargoed: 17th May 2014 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: South Sudan
  • Country: South Sudan
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA84TDSJE5IESQ8Q2SRGSV8RSN6
  • Story Text: U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met U.N. officials and the head of the U.N. mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) Hilde Johnson on Friday (May 2) to discuss United Nations troop deployment to help stop the violence in Africa's newest nation.
    More than one million people have fled their homes since fighting erupted in December between troops backing South Sudan's President Salva Kiir and soldiers loyal to Riek Machar, his sacked deputy.
    The violence quickly spread to areas including the oil-producing north, often along ethnic lines between Kiir's Dinka people and Machar's Nuer.
    International fears of a descent into genocide grew after the United Nations said rebels massacred hundreds of civilians in the northern oil town of Bentiu last month.
    Kerry had earlier said he hoped an initial deployment of about 2,500 U.N.-mandated troops could be deployed within the next few weeks, to bolster some 7,000 U.N. peacekeepers already there.
    Western diplomats have said U.N. forces need a tougher mandate than the one under which the existing UNMISS operates so they can act more assertively to halt violence and protect civilians.
    South Sudan won its independence from Sudan in 2011 under a peace deal to end decades of conflict. Washington and South Sudan's neighbours played a central role in that process and have been scrambling to stem the latest violence.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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