ICRC chief Maurer in South Sudan to press for civilian protection JUBA, South Sudan, Jan. 6 (UPI) -- Peter Maurer, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, said Monday violence in South Sudan was a mounting concern for civilians. Maurer arrived Monday in Juba, the capital of South Sudan. He said he's there to study the ICRC's response to violence that erupted in South Sudan last month and the effects it's had on the civilian population. "We're particularly alarmed by violence directed against civilians and against people no longer taking part in the hostilities," he said in a statement. We call on the parties to the conflict in South Sudan to do their utmost to ensure these people are spared. Clashes erupted in Juba in mid-December after President Salva Kiir accused former Vice President Riek Machar of launching a coup. Machar, sidelined during a Cabinet reshuffling in July, has denied plotting to overthrow the president. Parties to the conflict met Sunday in neighboring Ethiopia to work on a cease-fire agreement. "This is a constructive step and I urge both sides to remain flexible throughout these discussions," British Minister for Africa Mark Simmonds said in a weekend statement. Simmonds said his government, along with U.S. and Norwegian counterparts, was standing behind the peace talks in Ethiopia. The U.S. government helped pave the way to South Sudan's independence in 2011.