UN sees no concrete action from South Sudan on regional force

South Sudan's government has yet to take concrete steps to allow a UN-mandated regional force to deploy in Juba, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told the Security Council.

In a letter to the council late on Monday, Ban said the Juba government still has reservations about the composition of the proposed 4 000-strong force and the areas of deployment.

While the government has indicated it is ready to accept the new UN force, "these commitments have not yet translated into concrete actions on the ground," Ban wrote.