Stability in Juba welcomed, fighting in Bor alarming

The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said it observed a "noticeable improvement" in security conditions in much of the South Sudanese capital Juba, but expressed concern that they have "deteriorated significantly" in the Jonglei State capital Bor, its press office said in a statement distributed here late Wednesday. UNMISS again called on all parties to the violence to "exercise restraint and seek a peaceful way out of the current crisis." It said it lifted restrictions on the movement of its personnel earlier in the day, allowing them to resume patrols on a "limited basis" in Juba, and even restored flight service to and from the Ugandan city of Entebbe. "Life in the center of town is returning back to relative normalcy. The safety of civilians in the South Sudanese capital remains a concern, however, especially on the city's outskirts," the statement said. The UN Special Envoy to South Sudan Hilde Johnson called on Juba to "do its utmost to end any continuing violence and make sure that all civilians feel safe all over the city, regardless of their communal background, so that the thousands of civilians who took refuge in the two UN compounds can return home, " the statement said. However, it added, Security conditions in the Jonglei State capital Bor have "deteriorated significantly during the course of the day." "UNMISS has received reports that heavy fighting erupted in the city in the wee hours of this morning and continued for four hours. The violence triggered an exodus of civilians out of Bor, and thousands have sought shelter at the Mission's compound on the southeastern outskirts of the city," the statement said. It indicated that UNMISS is providing water, sanitation facilities and medical care to civilians who have taken refuge in its Bor compound, and a limited number of tents have been erected to house some of the civilians. It also said that late in the afternoon, UNMISS staff members reported that heavy weapons fire erupted in a neighborhood of Bor about a kilometer away from the Mission's compound. As of Wednesday morning, almost 20 000 civilians were staying in the two UNMISS compounds and in the compound of the World Food Programme (WFP) in Juba.