The UN Secretary General wants the Security Council to consider imposing further sanctions and an arms embargo on South Sudan. This is as part of the UN's response to the escalating violence in the country. Ban Ki-moon called for accountability during a press conference and for the South Sudan leadership to end the violence. Here's our correspondent Liling Tan on how the organization is handling the latest turmoil that could thrust the world's youngest nation back into civil war.

"The U.N. Secretary General, clearly frustrated by the escalating violence in South Sudan, did not mince words about how the country's leaders have failed their people. He pointedly called on President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar to do everything within their power to de-escalate the hostilities, and order their forces to withdraw," said Liling Tan New York.

"Yet again, the leaders of South Sudan have failed their people. Rarely has a country squandered so much promise, so quickly. What kind of leadership is it that resorts to deadly weapons and identity politics, time and again Failed leadership," said Ban Ki-moon UN Secretary-General.

"The U.N. chief also delivered a thinly-veiled threat, calling on the Security Council to consider three key actions impose an immediate arms embargo on South Sudan enact additional targeted sanctions on leaders and commanders who are blocking implementation of the South Sudan peace agreement and fortify the UN's mission UNMISS, which needs attack helicopters and other supplies to protect civilians," said Liling Tan New York.

Ban is meeting with the Security Council on Tuesday in New York, during which the possibility of additional U.N. troop deployments will also be discussed.

The council, which held an emergency meeting on South Sudan this weekend also condemned the latest clashes.

"The Security Council members urged an immediate end to the fighting by all concerned, and demanded that President Kiir and First Vice President Machar do the utmost to control their respective forces. The Security Council members stressed that attacks against civilians and UN premises and personnel may constitute war crimes," said Koro Bessho UN Security Council president.

"The U.N. and the international community will be carefully monitoring developments to identify who should be held accountable for war crimes," said Liling Tan New York.