New York, US - The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said it is stepping up its peacekeeping presence in the troubled South Sudanese state of Jonglei, in the wake of recent inter-ethnic violence that had displaced tens of thousands of people and killed an unknown number of others. UNMSS spokesman Kouider Zerrouk told reporters in New York via video conference that the mission is beefing up its presence across Jonglei to support the national government’s efforts to restore security and protect civilians.

Zerrouk said calm had now returned to Pibor, with many internally displaced persons (IDPs) having returned on Thursday and the Luo Nuer youths moving away.

He, however, said 'UNMISS is conducting daily land and air patrols to deter further violence'.

'We are monitoring the situation to make sure that these youth are going towards their locations and not coming back,” he said.

The spokesman also noted that the mission was working closely with UN aid agencies to provide humanitarian assistance to the civilians in the area.

'UNMISS already has peacekeepers deployed in Pibor, but we are also beefing up our presence in Jonglei state.

'We are also providing the necessary support to the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and to the government, particularly to airlift and transport around 800 police to the region, who will be there deployed to monitor the security situation,' he said.

The spokesman added that in the coming days, a humanitarian assessment mission is planned for the affected area.

'The World Food Programme (WFP) has been rushing emergency food rations to Pibor and nearby areas this week,' he said.

Pana 06/01/2012