LONDON, Feb. 10 (UPI) -- Violence has no place in the South Sudanese capital of Juba, the British foreign secretary for African affairs said as post-referendum turmoil escalates.
Voters in Sudan overwhelmingly backed a measure giving independence to South Sudan. The January referendum was part of a peace agreement reached in 2005 that ended one of the bloodiest civil wars in the modern age.
Conflict, however, has re-emerged in parts of Sudan as a mutiny within joint north and south Sudanese forces on the regional border claimed up to 50 lives Monday.
British Minister for Africa Henry Bellingham said in a statement that London stood by the region in order to usher in an era of peace.
His comments came as Jimmy Lemi Milla, a minister for rural development in South Sudan was killed by his driver Wednesday.
"Violence has no place in Juba and this news is particularly sad coming so soon after the jubilant scenes of Monday when the people of Sudan celebrated the peaceful conclusion of the referendum," he said.
The referendum went off with few reports of violence, however, and Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir said he would recognize the results of the vote. Both Sudanese governments still need to settle post-referendum issues such as the sharing of natural resources and border demarcation.
