US troubled at 'alarming' attacks in S Sudan

The United States voiced concern Tuesday at the latest deadly inter-ethnic clashes in South Sudan, which it said had reached an "alarming" level of escalation.
Gunmen killed at least 51 people in the latest ethnic clashes in South Sudan's troubled Jonglei state, the region's governor said earlier in the day.
"The long-running cycle of violence between certain tribes, particularly the Murle and Lou Nuer, has escalated to an alarming series of revenge attacks in recent weeks, and we urge all sides to refrain from further provocative or retaliatory acts," National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor said.
Noting that the violence was "causing tremendous human suffering, displacement, and death," Vietor urged the South Sudanese government to respond and address root causes of the bloodshed.
Newly-independent South Sudan has declared Jonglei a national "disaster area" while the United Nations has launched a "massive emergency" operation to help over 60,000 people affected by the violence.