South Sudan rebels seek separate relief operations
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January 4, 2015 (ADDIS ABABA) – A spokesperson in the office of the
former vice-president and leader of the SPLM-In-Opposition, Riek
Machar, said the movement was looking forward to an arrangement in
which it would directly deal with relief agencies operating in the
rebel-controlled areas in South Sudan.
JPEG - 20.8 kb
The AU said implementation of the ceasefire agreement was necessary to
help improve the humanitarian situation for thousands of people
displaced by fighting (Photo: UNHCR/F. Noy)
This comes after 9 staff members, including some women, working for a
local relief organisation in Unity state were detained for three weeks
in the South Sudanese capital, Juba. The local staff work in both
government and rebel-controlled areas.
A leading member in the local NGO who spoke on condition of anonymity
for fear of security reprisal told Sudan Tribune they were targeted
simply because of their ethnicity, maintaining that their organisation
was however a neutral relief agency.
“We were detained for three weeks simply because we are from the Nuer
ethnic group. When our plane landed in Juba the first thing asked by
the security operatives was our ethnic identity,” he said.
The staff member said they were accused of landing at 7.00pm and also
working in both government and rebel-held areas, adding all have
however been released with strict warning that they should not provide
assistance to the populations in the rebel-controlled areas.
The organisation, he said, had been working in Unity state, including
the rebel-controlled Leer County, for several years before the current
crisis. Leer is the local hometown of the opposition leader Riek
Machar.
SEPARATE RELIEF OPERATIONS
The opposition group welcomed the release of the relief workers, but
stressed the importance of separating relief operations in the
country.
“We seek to deal directly with international, regional and local
relief agencies that operate in the liberated areas. This is important
so that it eases their access to our areas and make provisions of
relief assistances unhindered and effective,” Machar’s spokesman,
James Gatdet Dak, told Sudan Tribune on Sunday.
Dak said their humanitarian wing was already engaging with
stakeholders to make an arrangement similar to the situation during
the 21 years of war between the former guerrilla fighters and the
Khartoum government.
“Our humanitarian wing manned by the national committee under the
chairmanship of comrade Hussein Mar Nyuot is working hard towards
this,” he said.
He said the movement had also established offices in some of the
regional countries in order to coordinate with international relief
agencies.
“With the civil administration now being established in the liberated
areas, the humanitarian wing will be coordinating provision of relief
assistance with relief agencies and the civil administration,” he
further said.
The opposition leader’s spokesman said the movement would be
responsible for identifying affected areas that need immediate relief
interventions, sign memoranda of understandings as well as provide
pass permits to relief workers.
Before signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) on 9 January
2005 between the Sudanese government and former rebels led by late
John Garang de Mabior, relief agencies used to carry out separate
operations in the liberated areas.
The rebel humanitarian offices which were mainly based in Kenya were
also responsible for providing pass permits to relief organisations
operating in their areas.
(ST)
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