UNMISS chief briefs cabinet on new mandate of UN forces in South Sudan
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October 1, 2011 (JUBA) – The Special Representative of the United
Nations Secretary General to South Sudan, Hilde Johnson, briefed the
South Sudan’s cabinet for the first time on the UN’s mandate in
Africa’s newest country.
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UN Rep. Hilde Johnson briefing South Sudan’s cabinet, Juba, Sept. 30, 2011 (ST)
By December around 7,000 United Nations Mission in South Sudan
(UNMISS) peacekeepers and UN police are due to be deployed.
The government’s spokesman and minister of information, Barnaba Marial
Benjamin, told the press after the briefing by Johnson that a number
of countries in Asia and Africa are ready to contribute troops to the
mission. Marial however added that the cabinet will further discuss
the nature of the mandate in a meeting scheduled for early next week.
The mandate which was adopted under chapter seven of the UN charter as
a result of resolution number 1996 (2011) passed by the UN Security
Council in New York at its 6576th meeting, on 8 July 2011, the day
before South Sudan became independent.
Under chapter seven’s strong mandate, the forces have the power to
protect the civil population from any danger by deterring threats and
in some cases engaging in military action against the source of the
imminent threat.
The forces will mainly be deployed in South Sudan’s states that have
borders with North Sudan.
The mission will report to the Security Council in every four months
on the situation in South Sudan, including on issues of human rights
to Geneva.
Hilde Johnson, who was accompanied to the cabinet by the force
commanders, explained that the intention of the mandate was to make
sure that South Sudan emerges as a success story as an independent
country after decades of internal conflict and war with North Sudan.
The United Nations is also concerned that the region might plunge into
tribal wars. In August 600 people were killed in Jonglei state when
Murle raiders attacked Luo Nuer areas. This was in response to an
earlier raid by the Luo Nuer against the Murle. This is just one
example of the cycle of cattle raiding and violence that has blighted
the region since it gained autonomy in 2005 and that have continued
after independence.
There are also numerous internal rebellions mainly caused by disputed
results in elections in April last.
(ST)
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