UN says it could not stop mass killing in South Sudan
On February 8, rebels belonging to notorious militia David Yau Yau killed 103 civilians including 14 soldiers. The soldiers belonging to the leader of the Murle insurrection abducted women and children in Akobo County of Jonglei State and raided thousands of cattle.
If earlier warning was done by the UNMISS I think this incident would have been averted.”
The UN’s South Sudan mission (UNMISS) has a significant presence in the area and peace keepers are under a mandate to protect local populations.
The South Sudanese government blamed UNMISS for failing to avert the tragedy, saying that the killings would not have happened if the international organisation had fulfilled its role of protecting civilians from threats.
The UNMISS’s mandate is to protect civilians against imminent threats of insecurity. Carrying out early warnings ahead of anticipated threats is one of its duties.
Jonglei State has the largest number of UNMISS peace keepers deployed in areas that have been experiencing critical insecurity threats and conflicts since 2005.
Without specifying how many peace keepers were in the area, UNMISS Special Representative of the Secretary General Hilde F. Johnson described its presence as significant, more than a company”.
Benjamin Barnaba Marial speaks to the press in Juba, February 9.
South Sudan’s government spokesperson Benjamin Barnaba Marial made the accusation at a press conference at his ministry. If earlier warning was done by the UNMISS I think this incident would have been averted. So we urge UNMISS to do its duty of protecting the civilians,” he said.
However, UN’s Johnson argued that the mission was not to blame for the tragedy, saying it is the government’s job to ensure safety of civilians.
The main responsibility for the protection of civilians still remains with the government and its national security forces, the SPLA and the South Sudan National Police Service,” Hilde said. It is, after all, first and foremost their responsibility to provide security to the citizens of their country.”
She said the UN peace keepers were restricted in their ability to act. We are unable to keep more than two companies (contingents of the UN peace keepers) -- running at the same time, is not logistically possible with the helicopter capacity we have,” Hilde said. We of course would like to have more presence but we can not manage (it).”
The UNMISS last year denied reports that its forces were overran by David Yau Yau militia in Likuangole, one of the areas in Jonglei State where peace keepers were deployed.
