UNMISS denies ‘promoting criminal activities’ Junior Ali | September 19, 2016 <http://www.eyeradio.org/unmiss-denies-promoting-criminal-activities/> | 12:53 pm [image: Head of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), Ellen Margrethe Løj, briefs the Security Council in May 2015. UN Photo/Rick Bajornas.] Head of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), Ellen Margrethe Løj, briefs the Security Council in May 2015. UN Photo/Rick Bajornas.
The UN Mission in the country has denied accusations by the SPLA that it is promoting criminal activities in the country. In different media statements, the SPLA claimed that UNMISS was protecting armed members of the SPLM in Opposition in its camps. “UNMISS and the UN are making the environment very conducive for a rebellion to flourish, and they have become a party to it,” SPLA spokesman Brig Lu Ruai said. This follows two recent attacks on the SPLA base in the Jebel Checkpoint in Juba, on the 9th and the 16th of September. Last week, the SPLA Spokesperson, Brigadier General Lul Ruai Koang told reporters that the attackers in both incidents came from the UN camp in Jebel Kujur. He said no deaths were recorded, but one SPLA soldier was wounded during the Friday attack. Mr Lul also accused the UN Mission of continuing to airlift Dr Riek Machar’s soldiers with their arms, from some areas in the country to the DR Congo. He said: “They put the guns in the boxes; they have been loading them on a plane and the SPLA IO fighters are boarding the plane. We do not know where they are transporting them to. This is serious.” However, UNMISS has rejected the allegations of ‘impropriety’ in its operations, and in keeping with the UN mandate on protection of civilians, and the impartial nature of its actions. In a statement, the UN mission says it responded to both attacks on the SPLA base in checkpoint by deploying a quick reaction force to prevent the attackers from entering its camp. “UNMISS rejects the allegations of impropriety in our operations, and in keeping with the UN mandate on protection of civilians, and the impartial nature of our actions,” partly read the statement. The mission says the attackers, after the Friday the 16th morning incident, withdrew from the checkpoint and later the SPLA forces deployed to secure the area. On the second incident on Friday, the mission says it also responded by giving medical assistance to a wounded South Sudan National Police Service officer. “UNMISS condemns the continuing violence, and calls on all parties to respect the ceasefire agreement, to allow the country to move forward and put personal and political differences aside.” UNMISS says it conducts regular cordon and search operations in all of its sites, in keeping with its arms free policy, and have clear entry and exit procedures. It says search operations have been increased in the Juba sites since July and have yielded positive results. -- To post to this group, send email to southsudankob@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to southsudankob+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/d/forum/southsudankob View this message at https://groups.google.com/d/msg/southsudankob/topic-id/message-id For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "South Sudan Info - The Kob" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to southsudankob+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to SouthSudanKob@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/SouthSudanKob. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/SouthSudanKob/CAJb14opURWwrDyLLpMeRWkbYyPwW9k9bb8LTh4Zy-kgS79HUgA%40mail.gmail.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
