New York, United States - The UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) Regional Coordinator for Southern Sudan, David Gressly, has expressed concern over the conflicts involving four separate militia groups in Southern Sudan, which earlier this year voted to secede and become a separate nation. 'The ongoing violence in the greater Upper Nile region continues to be a source of significant concern for the mission,” Gressly said in a statement issued at the UN headquarters in New York Wednesday. He noted that, 'pockets of conflicts involving at least four separate militia groups dot the maps of Jonglei, Upper Nile and Unity states and the SPLA (Southern Sudan’s army) has launched offensives aimed at containing those groups.'

According to him, 'the core issue that has led to the fighting relates to the incomplete process of the re-integration of forces following two decades of civil war between North and South Sudan that killed some two million people and drove an estimated 4.5 million others from their homes.'

The UN official, however, said the UNMIS peacekeepers had provided 'a strong response' on the continuing inter-communal violence in Western Equatoria state between Dinka Atuot and Beli tribesmen to deter violence and support humanitarian relief efforts.

According to him: 'UNMIS is also looking actively at mediation support options through the government and state governments concerned.'

Gressly also reported that, 'as of a week ago, some 261,000 southerners had moved back to the country’s ten southern states since the end of October last year but the flow had decreased significantly in recent weeks, apparently due to the exhaustion of government funds to assist
returnees.'

He also called on the Government of Southern Sudan to address the issue of security threat within its territory, in accordance with international humanitarian law.

'I am pleased to report that we have gained access to many of those areas in northern Jonglei State, where the movement of our personnel and humanitarian agencies had recently been curtailed by these ongoing operations,” he added.

Pana 31/03/2011