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JUBA (Reuters) - South Sudan President Salva Kiir called for an end to wanton killings and tribal-based atrocities on Wednesday, as government troops clashed with rebels loyal to his former deputy in an oil-producing region of the country.
Western powers fear the violence could spiral out of control and lead to a civil war split along ethnic lines in the world's newest state, and the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday agreed to almost double the number of peacekeepers there.
"Innocent people have been wantonly killed. People are targeting others because of their tribal affiliation. This is unacceptable," Kiir said, according to an official Twitter account of South Sudan's government.
"These atrocities recurring by now have to cease immediately," Kiir added.
The violence erupted in the capital Juba on December 15 and has quickly spread, dividing the landlocked country of 10.8 million along ethnic lines of Nuer and Dinka.
Western powers and east African states, keen to prevent more chaos in a fragile region, have tried to mediate between Kiir, a Dinka, and rebel leader Riek Machar, a Nuer, who was vice president until Kiir sacked him in July.
European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton is sending an envoy to the country, the European Commission said on Wednesday. A South Sudan government official said Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn and Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta would arrive in Juba on Thursday morning to help mediate as well.
Despite African Union calls for a Christmas Day ceasefire, rebels and government troops on Wednesday clashed in Malakal, capital of the major oil state of Upper Nile.
"In Malakal, rebel forces are on one side, and government troops on another. Fighting is still taking place," Army spokesman Philip Aguer told Reuters on Wednesday.
A United Nations human rights group on Tuesday found a mass grave containing 75 bodies in a rebel-held town.
Kiir and Machar have both said their dispute is political, not tribal. But many of the 45,000 civilians seeking refuge inside U.N. bases across the country say they have been targeted based on their ethnicity.
"It's definitely not a good Christmas here in the abyss of war," said Chan Awol, a 30-year old civil servant whose family has scattered across South Sudan after the fighting started.
"Nobody wants to go back to the days when there were no schools, no hospitals and no roads. Above all, no South Sudanese wants to be a refugee again."
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Christmas Day delivered a radio message to South Sudanese people, saying the U.N. will stand with them during the country's most difficult period since gaining independence from Sudan in 2011.
"We are strengthening the United Nations presence and will do our best to stop the violence and help you build a better future for all," Ban said.
Machar told Reuters on Monday that he was willing to negotiate with Kiir but only if his detained political allies are freed, something the government swiftly rejected.
Army spokesman Aguer said government troops will within a few days attack the rebel-held town of Bentiu, capital of Unity state, which also produces oil.
South Sudan's Petroleum Minister Stephen Dhieu Dau said on Tuesday that oil production, which accounts for 98 percent of government revenue, had fallen by 45,000 barrels per day to 200,000 bpd after Unity state oilfields shut down.
Government officials say production in the Upper Nile area is unaffected as the oil fields are far away from Malakal.
(Additional reporting and writing by Drazen Jorgic; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
"He was shot in his chest and brought to hospital by helicopter," said Jongjet Aoajenpong, director of the Police General Hospital. "A team of doctors tried to resuscitate him for more than half an hour."
Violence broke out as demonstrators tried to force their way into a sports stadium in the Thai capital, where representatives of about 30 political parties were gathered to register for February elections.
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EDITION: INTERNATIONAL U.S. MEXICO ARABIC TV: CNNi CNN en Espanol Set edition preference Sign up Log in Home Video World U.S. Africa Asia Europe Latin America Middle East Business World Sport Entertainment Tech Travel iReport /* STORY PAGE SPECIFIC CSS */.cnn_stryspccvrgehdr { background:#fff url('http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.e/img/3.0/mosaic/bg_speccov_hdr.gif') 0px 0px repeat-x; height:74px; overflow:hidden; width:980px; }.cnn_stryspccvrgehdr .cnn_stryspcvh1 { position:relative; height:74px; background:url('http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/ssi/story/3.0/banner/inside.africa.inc/inside.africa.jpg') 50% 0 no-repeat;overflow:hidden; width:980px; }.cnn_stryspccvrgebot { height:3px; background:#e6e6e6; font-size:1px; line-height:1px; }.cnn_stryspccvrgehdr .cnn_stryspcvh2 { font:bold 10px/12px arial;color:#666;padding:0 0 2px 0; }.cnn_stryspccvrgehdr .cnn_stryspcvh3 { font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight:bold; font-size:18px; line-height:21px; }.cnn_stryspccvrgehdr .cnn_stryspcvh5 { float:right;margin:30px 10px 0 0;display:inline;text-align:right; }.cnn_stryspccvrgehdr .cnn_stryspcvh20 { padding:0 0 2px 0; }.cnn_stryspccvrgehdr .cnn_stryspccvh6 { text-align:center; left:0; width:200px; height:74px; position:relative; margin-left:390px; overflow:hidden; }.cnn_stryspccvrgehdr .cnn_stryspccvh6 a { display:block; margin:0 auto; width:200px; height:74px; }#txtbnr .cnn_stryspccvh6 { display:none; }#txtbnr .cnn_stryspcvh1 { background:none; }Part of complete coverage onInside AfricaSHARE THISPrintEmailMore sharingRedditStumbleUponDelicious/* push in config for this share instance */cnn_shareconfig.push({"id" : "cnn_sharebar1","url" : "http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/20/world/africa/the-township-teens-opera/index.html","title" : "The township teens turned opera starlets"});The township teens turned opera starletsBy Teo Kermeliotis and Aja Harris, CNNDecember 20, 2013 -- Updated 1243 GMT (2043 HKT)if (typeof cnnArticleGallery=="undefined"){var cnnArticleGallery={};if(typeof cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList=="undefined"){cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList=[];}}var expGalleryPT00=new ArticleExpandableGallery();expGalleryPT00.setImageCount(6);expGalleryPT00.setAdsRefreshCount(3);//cnn_adbptrackpgalimg("\'I Live To Sing\'", 1);.cnn_html_slideshow_metadata > .cnn_html_media_utility::before{color:red;content:'>>';font-size:9px;line-height:12px;padding-right:1px}.cnnstrylccimg640{margin:0 27px 14px 0}.captionText{filter:alpha(opacity=100);opacity:1}.cnn_html_slideshow_media_caption a,.cnn_html_slideshow_media_caption a:visited,.cnn_html_slideshow_media_caption a:link,.captionText a,.captionText a:visited,.captiontext a:link{color:#004276;outline:medium none}.cnnVerticalGalleryPhoto{margin:0 auto;padding-right:68px;width:270px}
A new documentary follows young opera students from South African townships as they set out to introduce themselves to the world of opera. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":true,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":1,"title":"\'I Live To Sing\'"}
One of the protagonists of "Ndiphilela Ukucula: I Live To Sing" is Linda Nteleza, a powerful soprano who first heard opera while watching a TV commercial. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":2,"title":"\'I Live To Sing\'"}Thesele Kemane performs at the U.N. General Assembly in New York on Nelson Mandela Day last year.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":3,"title":"\'I Live To Sing\'"}Kemane's parents after seeing him perform opera for the first time.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":4,"title":"\'I Live To Sing\'"}Nteleza grew up in Khayelitsha, a large and fast-growing township on the outskirts of Cape Town that's struggling with unemployment and health issues.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":5,"title":"\'I Live To Sing\'"}American conductor Kamal Khan, director at the University of Cape Town Opera School, coaches Nteleza.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":6,"title":"\'I Live To Sing\'"}HIDE CAPTION'I Live To Sing''I Live To Sing''I Live To Sing''I Live To Sing''I Live To Sing''I Live To Sing'<<<
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6>>>Event.observe(window,'load',function(){if(typeof(cnn_adbptrackpgalimg) == 'function' && typeof(cnnArticleGallery) != 'undefined'){cnn_adbptrackpgalimg(cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[0].image,"The township teens turned opera starlets");}});STORY HIGHLIGHTS"I Live To Sing" is a documentary on opera students from South Africa's townshipsIt follows three young singers as they set out to launch a career in operaThe students often had to overcome adversity and resistance to follow their dreamsThesele Kemane is auditioning for prestigious U.S. opera schools(CNN) -- For Makudu, it all started with a friend playing him a Luciano Pavarotti record; for Linda, it was a TV commercial featuring a powerful soprano singer; and for Thesele, a community choir practice in his township. These flashes of operatic singing were all it took for the three young South Africans to instantly fall under the spell of opera and never look back.
Makudu, Linda and Thesele are the stars of "Ndiphilela Ukucula: I Live to Sing," a compelling documentary released earlier this year spotlighting the rising wave of talented opera singers emerging from South Africa's black townships.Born as South Africa was throwing off the chains of apartheid, the film's stars came to discover the enchanting world of opera in their teens, entranced by its beautiful voices and the magnificent music. Since then, they've sung their way from humble beginnings to South Africa's top stages, thrilling opera audiences in their country and beyond.Along the way, the determined singers had to overcome everything from financial hardship and health struggles to social resistance and lack of support in order to follow their dreams.Read this: Township girl to opera diva"If you had told me a few years ago that classical French and Italian opera is an art form that's gaining in popularity in black South African townships, I certainly would have been surprised -- in a way that I think many of the audiences for the film are," says Julie Cohen, director of the film.The national sports in South Africa are not soccer or rugby, but choirs.
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South African ballet fights for survivalRising stars"I Live To Sing," which was first aired in July on WNET in New York, is centered around the University of Cape Town Opera School -- once an all-white school and now home to remarkable singers from South Africa's black townships, some of whom have graced international stages such as The Met and La Scala.The documentary follows Linda, Thesele and Makudu through their studies at the school as they set out to introduce themselves to the world of opera and become professional classical singers.Throughout the film, the stars' charisma and personality shine through.Thesele Kemane, 26 at the time of filming last year, is an extremely committed and disciplined bass baritone with confidence in his talent; Linda Nteleza, 24, is a shy soprano with extraordinary singing abilities; and Makudu Senaoana, the youngest of the protagonists, is a gregarious, outspoken 20-year-old with a powerful tenor voice.The filmmakers capture the singers' preparations for a performance of "The Tales of Hoffman" at Cape Town's main opera house -- a landmark building in the anti-apartheid struggle.Read this: Five African festivals you can't missThey also follow the students to the United States, where they spend a summer as apprentices at the esteemed Glimmerglass Festival. While in New York, Kemane was invited to sing at the U.N. General Assembly to mark Nelson Mandela Day on July 18."I'd never dreamed that I would be singing at the United Nations," says Kemane. "I felt delighted," he adds, "singing there and honoring our late Nelson Mandela."But along with capturing the triumphant performances and the intense training, the filmmakers also travel to the townships where the young singers grew up, often under challenging conditions.Nteleza hails from Khayelitsha, a sprawling township on the outskirts of Cape Town that has been struggling not only with high unemployment and crime rates but also health scares.Last year was actually the first time my father actually saw me singing ... that is when he actually approved of opera music.
Part of complete coverage on Inside AfricaStunning photos of Kenya at 50December 12, 2013 -- Updated 1205 GMT (2005 HKT)
As Kenya celebrates 50 years of independence from British rule, a photo competition shows the country's beauty and heritage.Radio DJ feeds street childrenDecember 9, 2013 -- Updated 1137 GMT (1937 HKT)
Many of Burindi's war orphans live on the streets. But a radio presenter has made it her duty to feed as many homeless street children as possible.5 African festivals you can't missDecember 5, 2013 -- Updated 1110 GMT (1910 HKT)
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What is award-winning photographer Samuel Fosso's latest transformation?Climbing Africa's leafy summitsNovember 7, 2013 -- Updated 1057 GMT (1857 HKT)
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Roller derby is a full on, high-impact sport. And Cape Town's Rollergirls aren't scared of a few bruises.'Half of a Yellow Sun' on big screenOctober 21, 2013 -- Updated 1226 GMT (2026 HKT)
One of the most eagerly awaited films to come out of Africa in recent years, starring Thandie Newton and Chiwetel Ejiofor, is hitting the big screen.Tribal beauty of vanishing lifeOctober 23, 2013 -- Updated 0939 GMT (1739 HKT)
Photographer Jimmy Nelson spent three years documenting the lives and customs of 35 tribes before they disappear.'Star Wars' town in the SaharaOctober 18, 2013 -- Updated 1025 GMT (1825 HKT)
Deep in Tunisia's Sahara desert is an abandoned settlement, part submerged by the sand, somehow alien, yet strangely familiar.Stargazing in the desertOctober 9, 2013 -- Updated 1026 GMT (1826 HKT)
At night, the ancient, barren Namib Desert is free from light pollution, and the complete darkness makes it a perfect place for astronomers.See more Inside Africa 
Each week Inside Africa highlights the true diversity of the continent as seen through the mediums of art, music, travel and literature.
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Thesele Kemane performs at the U.N. General Assembly in New York on Nelson Mandela Day last year.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":3,"title":"\'I Live To Sing\'"}
Kemane's parents after seeing him perform opera for the first time.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":4,"title":"\'I Live To Sing\'"}
Nteleza grew up in Khayelitsha, a large and fast-growing township on the outskirts of Cape Town that's struggling with unemployment and health issues.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":5,"title":"\'I Live To Sing\'"}
American conductor Kamal Khan, director at the University of Cape Town Opera School, coaches Nteleza.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":6,"title":"\'I Live To Sing\'"}HIDE CAPTION'I Live To Sing''I Live To Sing''I Live To Sing''I Live To Sing''I Live To Sing''I Live To Sing'<<<