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South Sudan President Salva Kiir hits out at UN | South Sudan President Salva Kiir hits out at UN |
(about 1 hour later) | |
South Sudan President Salva Kiir has accused the UN peacekeeping mission of acting like a "parallel government" in his country. | |
His comments come after his government accused the UN of hiding rebels and guns at their camps. | |
More than 70,000 civilians are seeking shelter at UN bases across South Sudan after fighting broke out last month. | |
The UN says both government soldiers and rebels have committed atrocities in one of the world's poorest countries. | |
What started out as a political dispute between Mr Kiir and his former deputy Riek Machar on 15 December has escalated into full-scale conflict, with reports of ethnic killings. | |
Around 500,000 people have been displaced and the UN estimates that considerably more than 1,000 have been killed. | Around 500,000 people have been displaced and the UN estimates that considerably more than 1,000 have been killed. |
The UN is in the process of deploying an extra 5,500 peacekeepers to South Sudan, to bring its forces up to 12,500. | |
'Space to forgive' | |
Mr Kiir made his comments, broadcast on national TV, following the weekend capture of Bor from rebel forces. | |
The South Sudanese army also says it has recaptured the key town of Malakal after days of heavy fighting, though this is disputed by the rebels. | The South Sudanese army also says it has recaptured the key town of Malakal after days of heavy fighting, though this is disputed by the rebels. |
Friction with the UN followed an attempt on Sunday by the information minister to forcibly gain access to the UN base in Bor, where they believed armed rebels were hiding. | |
In a statement, UN chief Ban Ki-moon said he was "alarmed" and "disturbed" by the threat to staff of the UN Mission in South Sudan (Unmiss). | |
"We did not know that when the Unmiss was brought to South Sudan, they were brought as a parallel government with the government in South Sudan," Mr Kiir said. | |
"They fell short of naming the chief of the Unmiss as a co-president of the Republic of South Sudan. | |
"They just fell short of that, and if that is the position of Ban Ki-moon, he should make it clear that he wants the UN to take over South Sudan." | |
Mr Kiir added that the UN should allow the government to searches for guns among those seeking shelter in the camps. | |
"People come to them with guns; I asked them to give us back our guns and to give us back our government vehicles," he said. | |
Mr Kiir also accused other humanitarian organisations of supporting Mr Machar. | |
Talks to try to find a ceasefire are continuing in Ethiopia. | Talks to try to find a ceasefire are continuing in Ethiopia. |
Mr Kiir reiterated his stance that he wants an unconditional end to hostilities - and will not release 11 political detainees, a key demand of Mr Machar. | |
But he said the government had "space in its heart" to forgive Mr Machar. | |
He also urged his people to stop "the practice of a brother killing a brother" and "the practice of destruction". | |
Mr Machar has said he will not sign a peace deal unless Ugandan troops fighting alongside the government forces are withdrawn. | |
Nine Ugandan soldiers died in a rebel ambush at Gemeza a week ago, and 12 others had been killed in total since 23 December, Uganda's military spokesman, Col Paddy Ankunda, said on Twitter. | |
The Ugandan army was "not intent on staying for long in South Sudan", he said. |