United Nations Says Thousands Displaced By Violence in South Sudan

Regional fighting has already left more than 1,000 people dead, according to the UN.

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The United Nations said Monday that 180,000 people have been displaced in South Sudan since fighting broke out two weeks ago, the Associated Press reports.

The violence, which the U.N. previously said has killed more than 1,000 people, threatens to further destabilize the world’s newest country, and regional leaders in neighboring Uganda and Ethiopia are scrambling to ensure peace and prevent the bloodshed from spilling across the borders.

The government of South Sudan President Salva Kiir said it would cease hostilities with renegade forces led by former vice president Riek Machar. But Machar, whose ouster earlier this year sparked the unrest, called for a negotiated cease-fire to ensure the government’s compliance.  The clashes, which spread from the capital of Juba across the country, have enflamed tensions between Kiir’s majority Dinka tribe and Machar’s Nuer tribe.

The capital city of Juba is reportedly calm and a spokesman for the South Sudanese military said there was “no major fighting” over the weekend, according to the AP. But tensions remain high in two oil-producing regions where rebel troops are still active.

[AP]