JUBA, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said Wednesday that it has stepped up security patrols in and around the internally displaced persons camp in Bentiu, a town in Unity State, following recent clashes between rival forces.

UNMISS Spokesperson Priyanka Chowdhury said the peacekeeping mission continues to engage relevant actors at both the national and state levels to help prevent further violence and ease tensions in Unity State.

"While the government of South Sudan holds the primary responsibility for protecting civilians, UNMISS has deployed peacekeeping patrols in and around the Bentiu displacement camp to reassure residents and support efforts to stabilize the situation," Chowdhury told Xinhua in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.

Clashes broke out on Sunday between the South Sudan People's Defense Forces (SSPDF)and the opposition Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army-In opposition (SPLM/A-IO) in and around the Bentiu internally displaced persons camp.

The fighting caused fear and panic among civilians in the camp, which UNMISS handed over to the government for management in late 2020.

Tensions between the two forces escalated after an attack on the SSPDF base in Nasir, Upper Nile State, in March 2025 by the White Army, a militia which the government claimed to be linked to the SPLM/A-IO. ■