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Obama: US may Intervene in S Sudan, UN Warns of Escalating Crisis

Obama: US may Intervene in S Sudan, UN Warns of Escalating Crisis
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US President Barack Obama stressed that Washington will take action if needed in South Sudan after American forces were attacked in the African country.

Obama: US may Intervene in S Sudan, UN Warns of Escalating Crisis"As I monitor the situation in South Sudan, I may take further action to support the security of US citizens, personnel and property, including our embassy, in South Sudan," Obama wrote in a letter to Congress.

He made the remarks after a US military aircraft came under attack in the violence-hit country, injuring four American soldiers, one of them critically.

The South Sudanese government has accused the soldiers loyal to former vice president Riek Machar of carrying out the attack.

The country has been witnessing deadly violence in the past several days after President Salva Kiir accused Machar of trying to launch a coup.
On Wednesday, the United States said it deployed soldiers to the country to protect its personnel and assets.

Meanwhile, the United Nations warns of a humanitarian crisis in the African country.

Toby Lanzer, the South Sudan humanitarian coordinator for the United Nations, said on Sunday that the week-long political fallout between Kiir and his former deputy, Machar, has worsened the situation.
"It would have been difficult one week ago to imagine that things would have unraveled to this extent."
Lanzer, who is also the deputy head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan [UNMISS], added that "there are hundreds of thousands of South Sudanese who've fled into the bush or back to their villages to get out of harm's way."

Hundreds of thousands of people have fled their homes to escape the turmoil since fighting began after the South Sudanese president accused the former vice president of trying to stage a coup.
Joseph Contreras, the acting spokesperson for UNMISS, said that UN staff are trying to provide the refugees with food and shelter, but that it will get harder to cater for them all.
"Our resources are stretched very, very tightly but we are continuing to stand by the people of Unity State," he said.

"The Mission has a collective resolve to remain in South Sudan and will not be intimidated and will continue to fulfill its mandate to protect civilians."
Rebel groups have seized towns and oil fields, and militias from the country's two largest tribes have been engaged in clashes recently.
Colonel Philip Aguer, the South Sudanese military spokesman, said on Sunday that Bentiu, the capital of Unity state, is now under the control of rebels.

"Bentiu is in the hands of a commander who has declared support for Machar," he said. "Bentiu is not in our hands."
Machar had said on December 23 that his troops have captured the state of Unity and have control of much of the country.
The UN also said that it plans to dispatch more peacekeepers to embattled towns in South Sudan and evacuate "non-critical" staff.

"We are not abandoning South Sudan," said the UN Special Representative for South Sudan, Hilde Johnson, adding, "To anyone who wants to threaten us, attack us or put obstacles in our way, our message remains loud and clear: we will not be intimidated."

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team