The United Nations has said that it was caught off-guard by the violence in South Sudan.<br /><br />Violence erupted earlier this month between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and those backing his former deputy Riek Machar.<br /><br />The UN estimates that at least 1,000 people have been killed.<br /><br />Hilde Johnson, UN Special Representative of the Secretary General, told reporters “We knew that there were tensions and that this could lead to problems.<br /><br />“But I don’t think any South Sudanese or any of us observers in country, and outside, expected an unravelling of the stability so quickly.”<br /><br />The UN said it hopes to begin receiving within the next two days critical reinforcements of military hardware and personnel to assist in South Sudan – which gained independence from Sudan in 2011.
