South Sudanese rebels guard the village of Majieng, South Sudan, on September 20, 2014.
A senior EU official has expressed strong dissatisfaction with the prolonged and deadly war in South Sudan, calling on the sides involved in the conflict to reach a compromise deal.
EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid Christos Stylianides made the comments on Saturday after visiting the strongholds of both the government and the rebels in the war-torn country.
“The war and the blame games must stop, and they must stop now -- it is high time for peace,” he said, adding, “The international community is becoming very frustrated.”
Tens of thousands of people have been killed during the war in the world’s youngest country, with the clashes leaving more than half of its 12 million people in need of aid, according to the UN.
“All of us have our narratives of our history, but the most important things are peace and security. War is no solution, compromises must be made,” Stylianides stated.
He also added that both government forces and rebels must ensure the safety of aid workers and facilitate their access to those who are in need of help.
Earlier this month, the UN World Food Program (WFP) said that it is halting food aid deliveries to parts of the Upper Nile State, due to the danger that its staff face in the area.
More than two million South Sudanese have escaped the clashes and over 520,000 of those have taken refuge in neighboring Ethiopia, Sudan, Kenya and Uganda.
