South Sudan wants mandate of UN peacekeeping force reviewed

JUBA, Aug. 31 — South Sudan on Wednesday demanded review of the
mandate of the newly deployed Regional Protection Force (RPF) serving under
the UN peacekeeping mission (UNMISS), saying it is not satisfied with their
services.

Government Spokesman Michael Makuei said told a news conference that under
the current setting, RPF offers little help to South Sudan as there is no
further threat of violence in the capital Juba following last year’s
clashes between rival forces. “If they (RPF) have come to assist the
people and the government of South Sudan, then we will have to revisit
their mandate so that they render better services to the people of South
Sudan instead of patrolling, accompanying water tanks to the riverside and
moving in the town with guns, which sends negative message to the people,”
Makuei said.

The 4,000-strong additional blue helmets were mandated by the Security
Council last year to back up the existing 12,000 UN troops to protect
civilians and key installations, including the airport, following renewed
violence in July 2016. But the RPF only started arriving in the East
African country last month following protracted negotiations with the South
Sudanese government. Last week, fresh dispute broke out between UNMISS and
the government over security clearance and mandate of the newly deployed
blue helmets from Rwanda, leading to a temporary grounding of all UN
planes. The row was later resolved following intervention of diplomatic
missions.Makuei said the government will decline to accept a new mandate
for the RPF in December if the Security Council fails to review it. “These
forces were supposed to come at a time when Juba was not at peace, but Juba
is now at peace. We will have to revisit the mandate of the RPF,” Makuei
said. “By the end of the period in December, the government of South Sudan
must be consulted before they talk of renewal. This idea of automatic
renewal without the consent of the government is not acceptable and will
not be accepted,” he added.

South Sudan has been embroiled in more than three years of conflict that
has have taken a devastating toll on the people. Tens of thousands of
South Sudanese have been killed, communities divided along ethnic lines and
millions displaced since December 2013. A peace deal signed in August 2015
between the rival leaders under UN pressure led to the establishment of a
transitional unity government in April, but was shattered by renewed
fighting in July 2016. The UN estimates that at least 4 million people have
been displaced internally and into neighboring countries, and another 7.5
million people across the country are in need of humanitarian assistance
and protection. – XINHUA