UN to focus on peacekeeping in areas affected by SSLA rebellion

December 16, 2011 (BENTIU) – The UN Mission in South Sudan announced at a workshop in Bentiu that it will focus its peacekeeping efforts in Unity state on Mayom, Parieng and Koch counties, as they have been worst effected by rebels fighting the government.

Unity state is home to South Sudan’s most active rebel group the South Sudan Libertation Army (SSLA) who are attempting to over throw the government, which it accuses of corruption and tribalism.

Clashes between rebels and the military, have focused on Mayom county where the rebels are based, and have killed and displaced many civilians. The response of South Sudan’s army to the rebellion has been criticised by some groups, especially from the Nuer community, who feel they are being unfairly targeted.

After fighting between the army and SSLA in Mayom county in May this year the commissioner was replaced by the governor after he criticised the SPLA. He told Sudan Tribune that some 7,800 huts had been burned in an army offensive against the rebels.

Opening the human rights workshop the Unity state coordinator, Brigitte Oederlin, introduced the mandate of UN Mission in South Sudan that (UNMISS), adding that it will fully respect the sovereignty of the country, supporting government in conflicts mitigation, protecting of civilians and human rights.

Under a chapter 7 mandate the mission has the power to protect citizens as well as UN staff, and have a role in Disarmament Demobilization and Reintegration of armed individuals and groups.

Oederlin further added the mission will strengthen the capacity of the police services, security and justice officials in South Sudan.

The UNMISS facilitated workshop for representatives of the Unity State Legislative took place on Thursday and Friday in a bid to improve the protection and promotion of human rights.

The event in Bentiu, the Unity state capital, involved 40 members of parliament, including the speaker of the house, Simon Maguek Gai, who said it was the duty of legislators to protect civilians from human rights violations.

Speaker Gai said at the workshop that during the civil war with north Sudan the former rebels, who now make up South Sudan’s national army – the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) – were not responsible to for any human rights violations.

“Today is totally different” than during the two decade war with Khartoum, the speaker said, claiming that any allegations against the SPLA now were not true. He urged the MPs to move towards a democratic South Sudan with protected human rights.

South Sudan achieved independence in July as part of a peace deal with north Sudan and was widely recognised the international community and a new UN mission was established to help the country recover from decades.

However, in August 10 policemen beat up the top UN Human Rights official in South Sudan so badly he was hospitalised for five days before he had to leave to the country for further treatment.

Pradeep Jha the UN human rights officer in Unity State told the workshop he aimed “to educate [the] public on how they can protect the human right violation within the society either by individual or government institutions”.

He said that the state legislative assembly has role in promotion and protection of human rights in term of making laws as the most basic key function of parliament.

(ST)