UN In South Sudan Accused Of Aiding Rebels

More than 1000, people took to the streets to protest in South Sudan’s capital Juba.

Protesters demanded the resignation of UN South Sudan special representative Hilda Johnson at the rally addressed by top government officials.

On Friday, the Government said that they had intercepted weapons in a UN convoy marked carrying food.

The UN has deployed about 8,000 peacekeepers in South Sudan since the conflict broke out in December between the Government and rebel forces.

In January, South Sudan's President Salva Kiir accused the UN of running a "parallel government" in his country – a charge it denied.

UN spokeswoman Ariane Quentier told BBC Focus on Africa that a high-level UN team would arrive in South Sudan on Tuesday to carry out a joint investigation with the government into the incident.

The UN acknowledged that it had breached an agreement with the government when it transported the weapons by road, rather than by air, Quentier said.

Government troops intercepted the weapons in Rumbek, the capital of Lakes State, as they were being transported to Bentiu, the capital of Unity State, Quentier added.

The weapons were for Ghanaian troops who had arrived in South Sudan to join Unmiss and not for rebel forces, she said.

Peace talks hosted by Ethiopia are currently suspended and are expected to resume on 20 March, 2014.

By Beth Nyaga

Source: BBC News