S. Sudan to expel head of UN office in Unity state over reported human right abuses
July 12, 2015 (JUBA) – The government of the oil-rich Unity state in South Sudan announced on Sunday it would not allow the return of the head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), Mary Cummins, in the state over the human right reports charging government forces for having carried out human right abuses when they launched major military offensives against rebel fighters allied to the former vice president, Riek Machar.
Unity state deputy governor, Stephen Mabek Lang, told Sudan Tribune on Sunday that the decision to reject the return of the top UN official in the state was made by the cabinet after the latter was allegedly unable to provide evidences substantiating allegations that the government forces had carried out scale human right abuses, including raping women and burning some of the victims alive in their homes.
“The cabinet has resolved to ask the head of the UNMISS in Unity state to leave the state. This was a decision of the cabinet,” said the powerful deputy governor, who hails from Pariang county.
Lang did not say by name the UN official for whom the state cabinet had passed the resolution to leave the state.
Officials with the United Nations however named their targeted official, confirming to Sudan Tribune that they had reports the state government had asked the mission to not allow the return of Mary Cummins, head of its office in the oil-rich state.
The acting spokesman of the United Nations in the country, Joe Contreras, said that the mission was aware of reports that the state government had asked Cummins to not return to her duty station.
But South Sudan’s deputy minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, Peter Bashir Gbandi, said in a separate interview that the ministry had not received an official request from the Unity state administration with explanation backing up the decision of the local cabinet to reject the return of the top UN official to the state.
If implemented, the expulsion of Cummins will be the second decision of the government of South Sudan to expel top official of the United Nations in the country over reports linked to the conduct of government forces in the conflict.
In May, South Sudan expelled the head of humanitarian affairs, Toby Lanzer. The decision received strong international condemnation with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, asking the government to reverse its decision expelling Lanzer, asserting the UN official was instrumental in identifying and addressing the increasing humanitarian needs in the country.
Observers say this latest decision by the state government could be overturned by the national government unless Juba was the one instructing the state to initiate the decision so that it could be used as the basis for further action against the UN official.
(ST)