South Sudan teetering on edge of renewed civil war, warns UN envoy

South Sudan President Salva Kiir, right, and Vice President Riek Machar, left, attend a Holy Mass led by Pope Francis at the John Garang Mausoleum in Juba (AP/Ben Curtis)

South Sudan is teetering on the edge of renewed civil war, the top United Nations official in the world’s youngest nation warned on Monday.

Calling the situation unfolding in the country “dire,” Nicolas Haysom said international efforts to broker a peaceful solution can only succeed if president Salva Kiir and his rival-turned-vice president, Riek Machar, are willing to engage “and put the interests of their people ahead of their own”.