South Sudan: Death Toll Higher Than Estimated

The United Nations has said that they believe the death toll in the capital city of Juba in South Sudan is much higher than the government has reported.

Violent clashes erupted in the capital city more than week ago, when the government’s army started to clash with former rebels of the civil war.

The government previously reported that the death toll over the past week was estimated at around 272 people, with 33 of them being civilians.

However, the United Nations – who is monitoring the fighting in the country – believes that that number is merely the “tip of the iceberg.”

A ceasefire was established in Monday night, with both parties seemingly sticking to the agreement. However, the UN has said that while the ceasefire is currently being upholded, it does not rule out the possibility of further clashes.

According to the United Nations, South Sudan government officials are also obstructing the movement of UN peacekeepers within the country, thus making it really hard for these peacekeepers to get around and to report accurate facts and numbers to the agency.

Currently, thousands of civilians are seeking refuge at the UN compounds. However, the obstruction by the government is making it hard for other civilians to get to safe havens.