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The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Thursday that  South Sudan stands on the brink of an abyss. Ban Ki-moon made the remarks during a United Nations open debate on peacebuilding in Africa.

“As we meet, South Sudan remains precariously poised on the brink of an abyss. The promises of the new State for peace, justice and opportunity have been squandered. I am appalled by the scale of sexual violence documented by our Human Rights teams. We demand accountability for all atrocities and that the leaders of South Sudan commit to the peace process,” the UN Chief said in remarks at the gathering. 

UN rights officials are reporting at least 120 cases of rape over the past three weeks around Juba in South Sudan.

Recently Oxfam South Sudan also spoke of its concerns regarding the troubled nation. The organisation said the country is facing an acute humanitarian crisis and emergency levels of food insecurity due to the on-going conflict that has persisted notwithstanding a peace accord signed by the warring factions. 

According to Oxfam South Sudan, 6.1 million people will need some humanitarian assistance by the end of 2016.

At the peacebuilding debate in the United Nations, the UN Secretary-General was, however, quick to note that although instability persists in South Sudan, Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Libya and Mali, and a number of other nations, it is important to emphasise that this is not the full story of Africa.

“There is another narrative, largely untold, of growing economies, improved living standards and expanding democratic space. Our shared responsibility is to nourish these seeds of peace and prosperity. One way we can do that is to nurture inclusive, transparent, effective and accountable institutions and help the nations of Africa achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. When institutions are weak, nations cannot thrive,“ Ban Ki-moon said.

(Email: engafrica@vatiradio.va)

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