U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon warned Wednesday that violence in South Sudan that has claimed hundreds of lives in recent days could be spreading to other parts of the world's newest country. "This is a political crisis and urgently needs to be dealt with through political dialogue," Ban told reporters at U.N. headquarters. "There is a risk of this violence spreading to other states [in South Sudan], as we have already seen some signs of this." He did not elaborate. The secretary-general's remarks came after the U.N. Security Council urged all parties in South Sudan to cease hostilities and exercise restraint to prevent the further spread of violence. In a statement issued Tuesday night, the 15-country council expressed "serious concern" over the fighting that started Sunday and is continuing in the capital, Juba, and other areas, reportedly resulting in hundreds of deaths and the potential targeting of certain communities. "The members of the Security Council urged all parties to immediately cease hostilities, exercise restraint, and refrain from violence and other actions that could exacerbate tensions," said the statement, which followed a closed-door briefing by U.N. Undersecretary-General for Peacekeeping Herve Ladsous on the latest developments. "They also underscored the vital importance of protection of all civilians, regardless of their communities of origin, and called for all authorities to respect the rule of law and human rights," the Security Council statement said. Council members also supported the call made by Ban on Tuesday for the South Sudan government to engage in dialogue with its opponents and for the parties to resolve differences peacefully.
