South Sudan's leaders must bring an end to the ongoing civil war that has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions, the United Nations Secretary-General said Thursday while touring a refugee reception center in northern Uganda.
“It is time for the war to end. It is time for all the leaders of South Sudan to understand that they need to stop this war,” said Antonio Guterres.
“South Sudan's leaders do not deserve the people of their country,” he added, stressing that the South Sudanese people have been suffering enormously due to this endless war. “Peace in South Sudan is a must for these people to be able to have a future,” said the Secretary-General.
António Guterres urged the international community to show solidarity with those that had fled their homes in South Sudan, as well as with the Ugandan government and people.
He expressed gratitude for the efforts made by the Heads of State of the region, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the African Union and by the UN to help create the conditions for peace to be re-established.
Guterres was speaking at the Imvepi refugee settlement in the Arua district of northern Uganda ahead of today's UN-backed summit in Uganda that is aimed at raising global awareness of the refugee crisis.
More than 900,000 refugees are sheltering in Uganda, most of them area women and children. More than 1.8 million people have crossed into neighbouring countries since the start of South Sudan's civil war in December 2013.