South Sudan leaders urged to put well-being of people first

South Sudan leaders urged to put well-being of people first

South Sudan leaders urged to put well-being of people first

28 Nov 2016

South Sudan leaders urged to put well-being of people first

Daniel Dickinson

The leaders of South Sudan have been urged by the UN's most senior official in the country to put the well-being of their people first.

The African nation has been enduring civil conflict for almost three years, a conflict which has led to the deaths of thousands of people and the displacement of millions more.

Three years of fighting has left South Sudan facing not just a political but also a serious humanitarian crisis.

Close to three million South Sudanese have now fled their homes since the conflict began in December 2013.

Some 205,000 are sheltering in Protection of Civilian (PoC) sites established by the UN peacekeeping mission in the country UNMISS.

Ellen Løj is the head of UNMISS.

She is due to leave the mission at the end of November. She had this message to South Sudan's political leaders.

"I urge all South Sudanese and especially the leaders of South Sudan to put the well-being of their people, the boys and girls of South Sudan as I am always saying in the forefront of their action. They all have to commit to peace. They all have to commit to moving forward, to creating a prosperous future for the people of South Sudan."

The African country became independent in July 2011.

Ms Løj said that all South Sudanese should work towards creating the national identity of the country in the hope that they will be able to live in peace and realize what she called "the great potential of this wonderful country."