A South Sudanese civil society leader has called on the international community to take a more forceful stand in bringing the ongoing conflict to an end.

Biel Boutros Biel, the executive director of South Sudan Human Rights Society for Advocacy, told Radio Tamazuj that the international community was initially too timid in its intervention. Instead of focusing on peace talks, which have now dragged on for almost a year, he said they needed to put more emphasis on relieving the suffering of South Sudan’s people.

“On the side of the international community, they should not talk on issues that reflect the interest of Western power or United Kingdom, United States of America or other Eastern power, but they should talk on the issues that reflect the interests of South Sudanese,” he said.

He also said the presence of foreign troops, specifically soldiers from the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF), has prevented peace from returning to the country.

“The use of these foreign elements against one community is also a factor,” he said. “The international community should sit down with the Juba government and also with neighboring countries who are supporting the ongoing civil war at the side of the government to talk. There should be peace returning to South Sudan by withdrawing these forces.”

By withdrawing the forces, he said, it would remove one of the hurdles to peace, as forces loyal to former Vice President Riek Machar have consistently called for the UPDF to leave South Sudan.