IGAD foreign ministers call to strengthen UNMISS mandate

July 11, 2016 (ADDIS ABABA) – Foreign Ministers of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Monday have urged to reinforce the mandate of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) to ensure civilians protection in the country.

The top diplomats of the regional body, which mediated a peace agreement signed by the warring parties, held Monday an extraordinary meeting in Nairobi to discuss the situation in Juba in a bid to stop the fighting that flared across the South Sudanese capital since four days.

The meeting was also attended by the Troika diplomats (Norway, United Kingdom and United States) in Kenya, the head of the European Union delegation to Kenya and the Chairperson of Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC) Festus Mogae who briefed the meeting on the situation in Juba.

In a statement issued following the meeting, the IGAD foreign ministers condemned the resumption of hostilities in Juba, the huge loss of lives, the targeting of UNMISS compound and “attempts to prevent civilians from getting protection”.

In a strongly worded statement, the IGAD foreign ministers demanded an immediate ceasefire and an ” Urgent revision of the UNMISS mandate to establish an intervention brigade and increase numbers of troops from the region to inter alia secure Juba”.

Also, they asked to open Juba airport and to put it under UNMISS protection, to open the humanitarian corridors, and the “immediate return of all armed forces and weapons to their barracks”.

The statement further said the leaders of the South Sudanese transitional government have to hold accountable “those responsible for the breakdown of law and order”.

The IGAD ministers were obviously backing a call on Monday by the UN chief to sanction leaders and commanders blocking the implementation of the peace agreement.

Their statement also called for immediate implementation of the security arrangements as provided in the Agreement on Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan (ARCSS) inked in August 2015.

The killing of peacekeepers and civilians in Juba pushed the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to urge an arms embargo on South Sudan, the imposition of individual sanctions and to empower the UNMISS.

“This is the time to massively reinforce U.N. action,” Ban said.

“When a government cannot or will not protect its people, and when warring parties seem more intent on enriching and empowering themselves at the expense of their people, the international community has a responsibility to act,” he stressed.

(ST)