DHAKA: South Sudanese rebels have taken over a key town, the military has said, as fighting continues after Sunday’s reported coup attempt.

‘Our soldiers have lost control of Bor to the force of Riek Machar,’ said army spokesman Philip Aguer, reports the BBC.

President Salva Kiir has accused Machar, the former vice-president, of plotting a coup, a claim he denies.

The unrest, which began in the capital Juba, has killed some 500 people and sparked fears of widespread conflict.

Since independence, several rebel groups have taken up arms and one of these is said to have been involved in the capture of Bor.

The United Nations has expressed concern about a possible civil war between the country`s two main ethnic groups, the Dinka of Kiir and the Nuer of Machar.

The UN has called for political dialogue to end the crisis, and the Ugandan government says its president has been asked by the UN to mediate between the two sides.

A delegation of East African foreign ministers is due to fly to Juba to try to arrange talks.

BDST: 2113 HRS, DEC 19, 2013
Edited by Robab Rosan, Current Affairs Editor