UN calls for South Sudan leaders to stop war

February 28, 14 (BOR) – The United Nations Humanitarians coordinator in South Sudan visited Jonglei state’s capital Bor on Thursday where he witnessed some of the mass graves used to bury those killed during violence in the area.

A tragic reality of conflict: mass graves. In #Bor, #UNMISS supported the authorities to lay 560 civilians to rest. pic.twitter.com/Cz2CUSrLnL

— Toby Lanzer (@tobylanzer) February 28, 2014

“The business district has been totally destroyed” Lanzer said on his twitter profile adding that the are “four mass graves” in Bor town with entire neighborhoods standing empty.

However, he said that there were “a few civilians on the streets, some civil servants are at work, and several stalls & a small market have re-opened.”

Lanzer who is also the Deputy UN Special Representative was joined by Jan

, Toby Lanzar asked the government of South Sudan and the rebels to stop fighting so as to give ways for civilians assistance in the country.

Toby Lanzar, with his team on a visit to Jonglei capital of Bor on Thursday briefed the state government in a close door meeting on the importance of accelerating humanitarian aids should the war stops.

The state acting governor of Jonglei state, Aquila Mam told the journalists in Bor about the contents of the meeting.

“He actually said , in order for you to be helped, we need reconciliation, the people of South Sudan should come together, forget about the past”, Mam recalled Lanzar’s statement.

Since the war erupted in mid December between the forces loyal to former Vice President Riek Machar and the SPLA, civilians in the Country had suffered hunger, killings and raping in the Upper Nile region, which include Jonglei, Unity and Upper Nile states.

Lanzar visited Mingkaman in Lakes state one of the displaced camps hosting people from Jonglei state who escaped the war, before he moved on to Bor on the same day.

Lanzar toured the market of Bor that was destroyed during the war between December and January.

Broken bottles, and scrap metals from the destroyed houses and shops were seen everywhere on the ground. Lanzar had to move with cautions through the market.

He said his office was doing every thing to make sure that there is “humanitarians funds to support people and communities in South Sudan”.

Few civilians living in Bor town had just returned homes, a population that the state authorities estimated not reaching 500 people.

(ST)