No Military Solution in South Sudan, Secretary-General Stresses, Calling Escalating Violence ‘Callous and Blatant Disregard’ of Ceasefire Pledges

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

We are disturbed by the escalation of violence and subsequent suffering of civilians in South Sudan as a result of the recent Government offensive.  We urge the Government and other warring parties to cease hostilities, uphold their responsibility to protect civilians and cooperate with the United Nations and other humanitarian actors to ensure safe access to all civilians in imminent danger along the West Bank of the River Nile.

The renewed upsurge in fighting represents a callous and blatant disregard of the pledges made during the 25 March Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Summit to implement a ceasefire and to facilitate humanitarian access.

There can be no military solution to the crisis in South Sudan.  We hope regional and international partners will join us in encouraging the parties to return urgently to the negotiating table, and we remain committed to working with the African Union and IGAD to secure a peaceful resolution of the conflict.