海角大神

In a sign of worsening violence in South Sudan -- and despite the opening of peace talks Friday in Addis Ababa -- the US State Department said it is pulling more embassy staff from the capital Juba.聽

The 鈥渇urther drawdown鈥� of embassy staff is due to the 鈥渄eteriorating security situation鈥� in South Sudan, where the UN says over a thousand people have been killed in fewer than three weeks of fighting between rebels and government forces.

On Friday, representatives of President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar were staying at the same luxury hotel in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa, but the delegations had not begun to negotiate directly and are reportedly still working through intermediaries.

Meanwhile, despite expectations last week of a truce, fighting in South Sudan continues as the two main groups try to seize territory and resources to improve bargaining positions.

Pro- and anti-government forces clashed 15 miles south of Bor, the strategic capital of the state of Jonglei which is now held by rebels after changing hands three times since fighting began on Dec. 15.

Mr. Machar, the former deputy president, 聽has vowed to march south from Bor to the capital Juba. But Col. Philip Aguer of the government's Sudan People鈥檚 Liberation Army (SPLA) sounded defiant. In a phone call with the Monitor he predicted that Bor, a strategic oil-rich town, will be retaken.

鈥淭he SPLA is advancing toward Bor town and they have been clashing with forces of Riek Machar for the last six hours,鈥澛爃e said in a call Friday afternoon East Africa time. 鈥淚n a matter of time Bor will be taken by the government forces.鈥�

Col. Aguer also said that fighting could break out "anytime" in a different South Sudan state, Unity, where the rebels control the capital Bentiu. He聽said that armed youth are mobilizing to attack the Adar oil area in Upper Nile State. 聽The聽鈥淪PLA is ready to defend Adar oil area,鈥� he said.

The fighting started in mid-December as a political contest between Kiir and Machar and has exposed deep ethnic divisions.

The UN says 200,000 people are displaced, but warned that number could double.聽聽The UN has asked for $209 million in humanitarian assistance. On Friday, along with announcing staff reductions in the embassy, the US聽government also pledged $49.8 million in humanitarian assistance.

The need for aid

The fighting has delivering aid extremely difficult, a number of aid agencies told the Monitor.聽

鈥淭here will be a little bit of peace for a day or two but not enough to get goods in,鈥� Helen Mould of UK-based Save the Children told the Monitor, referring to hotspots like Bor and Bentiu.

鈥淩ight now there鈥檚 an urgent need for everything -- food, emergency relief items, clean water and sanitation, shelters, blankets,鈥� Ms. Mould says.聽鈥淧eople fled with nothing in the middle of the night with bullets going through their windows.鈥�

One of those people is a man in the Bentiu UN compound who wanted to be referred to as Muze.聽聽He took shelter there after armed men of another ethnicity came for him at his house.

With wind whipping in the background, Muze described by phone the scene of 8000 people afraid to go home. He said the open ground is being used as a bathroom and said there is little shelter.聽He and two friends 鈥渁re lucky鈥� he says because they have a carpet that they have constructed as a covering.聽

鈥淭here is lack of medication,鈥� he added.聽聽鈥淓ven as I am telling you, there are people there who are wounded and crying out.鈥�

Muze called on leaders to cease the violence.

鈥淭hey are supposed to lead responsibly,鈥� he said.聽聽鈥淏ut who are you going to lead?聽聽They are [killing] their own civilians.聽聽It is so embarrassing to me.鈥�