South Sudan: MSF workers 'flee into bush' A rebel fighter with a weapon walks to a river to wash as he returns from a frontline in a rebel-controlled territory in Jonglei State, South Sudan (January 30, 2014) <http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/72686000/jpg/_72686928_72686922.jpg> Violence has continued in South Sudan despite a ceasefire agreement The medical charity MSF says 240 of its staff have been forced to flee into the bush in South Sudan because of continuing insecurity. MSF said the workers were among thousands of people trying to escape fighting in Unity State between government forces and rebels. Violence broke out in the world's newest state on 15 December, starting as fighting between rival army factions It has now killed thousands of people and displaced around 700,000. A fragile ceasefire was agreed last week ahead of a second round of peace talks due to start on 7 February. Rebel leader Riek Machar denies plotting a coup, but says he wants President Salva Kiir to resign. The former vice-president told Reuters on Friday that government attempts to charge him with treason were an effort to derail the ceasefire. South Sudan's rebel leader Riek Machar sits near his men in a rebel-controlled territory in Jonglei State (January 31, 2014) <http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/72686000/jpg/_72686930_020856631-1.jp g> Rebel leader Riek Machar spoke to Reuters from his hideout in Jonglei State MSF head of mission Raphael Gorgeu said local staff had continued running the hospital in the town of Leer for as long as they could, "despite incredibly challenging circumstances". "However in the past three days, the situation became too unstable and the only way to provide medical care was to take patients out of the hospital and to flee with the population into the bush." The agency said the hospital, where it has worked for 25 years, was now empty of patients and staff. map <http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/72629000/gif/_72629491_south_sudan_co nflict_displ_464map_2014_v7.gif> Fighting erupted in the South Sudan capital, Juba, in mid-December. It followed a political power struggle between President Salva Kiir and his ex-deputy Riek Machar. The squabble has taken on an ethnic dimension as politicians' politica -- This is a quote: "Even if Joseph Kony was killed, that would not necessarily be the end of the war in northern Uganda because Kony is no more than a ' spiritual' leader of the LRA. This quick fix, arm-chair solution seemed to be from the Kampala-based 'opinion leaders' who only know the war through newspapers". " Until the legitimate grievances and the marginalization of northern Uganda's communities are addressed, LRA fighters remain a possible vehicle for the expression of northerners' frustrations". "Kony may never sign a peace agreement. Whether or not he signs, however, is less relevant to avoiding new conflict in northern Uganda than ending marginalization policies and fulfilling promises by the Ugandan government."
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