UNMISS gives non-South Sudanese 24 hours to leave protection site

September 5, 2015 (JUBA) – Civilians who sought protection at the United Nations mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) base in the country’s capital, Juba have been given 24 hours to leave their premises after missing the deadline set for them to register and be relocated to designated areas, the world body announced on Saturday.

Of the 473 foreign nationals at the camp, 241 accepted to relocate from a protection-of-civilians (PoC) site at the mission headquarters since 27 August to locations in Juba Yambio and the Makpandu refugee settlement in the Western Equatoria state. 233 refugees, mostly from Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia declined to leave the compound.

“With the change in the security situation in Juba, the majority of the foreign nationals have since left UNMISS POC sites to return to their homes in the communities in Juba,” UNMISS said in a statement it issued on Saturday.

“Most of [them] have remained in the UNMISS site even though there are no longer protection concerns to justify their continued stay in the Mission’s camps,” it added.

The outbreak of the conflict in South Sudan in December 2013 triggered an influx of hundreds of local and foreign nationals into UNMISS camps across the country. More than 200,000 South Sudanese are sheltering in six PoC sites established by UNMISS, including in Juba, Bor, Bentiu, Malakal abd Wau.

The UN peacekeepers are mandated to protect civilians under imminent danger in South Sudan.

“The mission wishes to emphasize that the deadline to participate in the relocation process was 1 September and there will be no extension to allow the foreign nationals to stay any longer on UNMISS premises. The PoC site where the remaining 233 foreign nationals are staying will be closed on Monday 7 September,” UNMISS stated.

UNMISS said it provided, in collaboration with other UN agencies, the foreign nationals with alternative places to which they can relocate within South Sudan. The foreign nationals were reportedly given multiple opportunities to obtain asylum-seeking certificates from the Government of the Republic of South Sudan that would enable them to remain legally in the country while their applications for refugee status are reviewed.

Those who refused the offers, it said, have to vacate the premises “immediately and peacefully.”

“Their continued stay beyond the deadline will not be condoned,” it further stressed.

Sudan Tribune was unable to reach any of the foreign nationals asked to leave the premises.

(ST)