S. Sudan endorses deployment of regional protection force

July 20, 2017 (JUBA) – The South Sudanese government on Thursday said it had completed the verification needed before the regional protection forces are deployed into the war-torn nation.

The cabinet affairs minister, Martin Elia Lomuro said verification of the forces and equipment to be brought by regional forces into the country had been completed and that land was allocated by Jubek state government for their base.

“On our side as the government, there is no problem anymore. We have done our verification and have cleared the deployment of the regional protection. Already fourteen top commanders of the regional protection force have been in the country since March as part of the deployment process,” said Lomuro.

He added, “So we have done our part and we just wait for whatever is required of us”.

The minister, however, said the government was unaware of when the forces would arrive, although it’s anticipated to be at end of month.

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) issued Resolution 2304 in August last year, allowing deployment of more than 4,000 troops to beef up the existing 13,000 UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) force.

South Sudan’s Transitional Government of National Unity confirmed its unconditional consent to the deployment of the force in a communiqué to the UN Security Council on November 30, 2016.

The regional protection forces, once deployed, will be mandated to protect key installations like the Juba airport, facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance and provide protection to the civilians.

The regional forces are also expected to further strengthen the security of UN protection of civilians’ sites and other UN premises.

South Sudan’s civil war broke out in December 2013 after President Salva Kiir accused his former deputy Riek Machar of plotting a coup.

Machar denied the accusation but later mobilised a strong rebel movement.

A peace deal signed in August 2015 led to the formation of a coalition government but was again devastated by fresh violence that broke out in July last year.

Tens of thousands of South Sudanese have been killed, with millions of others displaced and over 4 million people left severely food insecure since December 2013.

(ST)