7 May 2013- Seeking to empower school children in Unity State, UN Police in Bentiu trained them today in traffic rules and basic human rights.

The UN Police Advisors, who conducted the training in collaboration with South Sudan National Police Service in the state, said their aim was to ensure that children crossed roads safely when going to school and returning to their homes.

"It is our duty to teach our children ... how to cross roads for (their) safety and (ours)," said Nyaruech Mawien Bol, a traffic police officer. "I am appealing to (the) general public to work together with the police so that people will ... understand the general rules of traffic."

UNMISS Deputy State Police Advisor Efsun Kasap said the traffic training would help prevent accidents in the state.

Last year in Bentiu, a school boy was killed in a car accident and two others were seriously injured when they were hit by a bus, just 200 metres from their school.

In addition to road safety training, the police advisors also explained basic human rights principles to the children.