Peacekeepers foil attempt to abduct IDPs in Bentiu camp

February 24, 2017 (JUBA) – Uniformed soldiers attempted to seize a number of internally displaced people near a United Nations Protection of Civilians site in Bentiu Thursday evening, UN said Friday.

Citing a report from the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), the UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric disclosed the attack on civilians who are under the protection of the peacekeepers.

The “Soldiers were seen beating and harassing 11 internally displaced people at a nearby farm. UN peacekeepers intervened and rescued seven women and four men,” he further said.

In other related incidents that same evening, peacekeepers also prevented the harassment of other people who were returning to the site.

“The head of the UN Protection of Civilians Mission, David Shearer, has praised the robust response of members of the Mongolian Battalion who rescued these people”.

Bentiu is the UN’s largest Protection of Civilians site in South Sudan with some 120,000 people living there.”

In its trimestrial report about the UNMISS activities, the UN secretary general used to mention the harassment of children and women including sexual violence when entering and leaving the sites of protection.

(ST)