UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) — The UN said Sunday it had set up a security cordon near South Sudan's northwestern town of Wau to protect tens of thousands of civilians caught up in the latest flare-up of violence.
"Military forces have created a security cordon around an area adjacent to the UN base and peacekeepers are conducting active patrolling to ensure the safety of the displaced civilians within this area," the mission’s statement reads.
Aid agencies are providing basic assistance to some 100,000 people in the besieged area, where troops of the ruling Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) are battling unnamed armed groups.
The UN is negotiating access to Wau to conduct additional patrols to protect trapped civilians.
SPLA deployed heavy weapons, including tanks, to the south of Wau and some other areas on Saturday, forcing thousands to flee toward the UN base.
