The Secretary-General spoke today with President Salva Kiir Mayardit of South Sudan.

The Secretary-General called for an immediate halt to the vicious fighting and the appalling killing of South Sudanese civilians.  He stressed the need to ensure that the perpetrators of the completely unacceptable attack on the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) compound in Bor and the ethnically motivated killings in Bentiu are swiftly brought to justice.  He welcomed the pardoning of detainees and hoped that this would have a positive impact on the peace talks led by the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD).  He urged the President to intervene personally to stop the negative campaign against UNMISS staff and issue a public statement to this end.