South Sudan says UN explanation for attack helicopters not satisfactory
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June 19, 2015 (JUBA) - South Sudanese government on Friday said it did
not get a proper and satisfying explanation giving reason for which
the United Nations (UN) sought the approval to bring attack
helicopters into the country.
JPEG - 56.3 kb
UN peacekeeping chief, Hervé Ladsous speaks to reporters after a
meeting with Jonglei state governor Kuol Manyang Juuk (left behind)
who discusses with his aides in Bor on 7 July 2013 (ST)
South Sudanese deputy minister of foreign affairs said the government
did not reject the request as alleged on Wednesday but did not get
proper explanation, describing report of the under-secretary for peace
keeping operations to the UN Security Council as “unfortunate and not
reflective of facts [of] views.”
“As the government, we did not reject the request of the United
Nations but we asked for explanations. The reasons which were given
were not satisfactory,” said deputy foreign affairs minister, Peter
Bashir Gbandi.
The reasons which the United Nations gave the government to warrant
approval of the attack helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles was
allegedly grounded on the necessity to provide protection to civilians
coming under direct and targeted attacks from belligerent warring
parties in the country.
“South Sudan is a sovereign state with full sovereign
responsibilities. It is a country with capable army to provide
adequate protection to her citizens and their properties within its
territorial jurisdiction. Any support, whether technical or in any
form must be supplementary,” Gbandi told Sudan Tribune.
The official was reacting to a report by the UN slamming president
Salva Kiir on Wednesday for hindering efforts to protect civilians by
blocking UN attack helicopters and surveillance drones and declaring
that UN personnel caught taking photos will be deemed spies.
Ladsous told the United Nations Security Council that the world body
wanted to do a better job protecting civilians amid the country’s
civil war.
Some 136,000 civilians are presently sheltering at seven UN sites
around the country.
“We needed attack helicopters, request denied; we needed UAVs
(unmanned aerial vehicles), request denied by the president to me,
personally, three times last year,” Ladsous told a UN Security Council
meeting on peacekeeping operations.
“Juba did declare some of our senior personnel persona non grata, if
you look at the fact that yesterday it was announced that UN personnel
taking pictures will be considered a spy, I think this raises a number
of concerns,” he said. .
Ladsous said the movements of peacekeepers had also been restricted
during the 18-month conflict in the world’s newest state, which
seceded from Sudan in 2011. There are some 12,000 UN troops and police
in South Sudan.
But the deputy foreign minister denied the mission in the country was
facing any difficulty in movement.
“That is very unfortunate report. It does not reflect facts. Everyone
in this country knows, even small children that UNMISS moves
throughout. They are out 24 hours and no one has ever stopped them
from carrying out their activities except in areas which are not under
the control of the government,” Gbandi said.
He also said the UN should instead blame the rebels led by former vice
president, Riek Machar, for allegedly restricting non-governmental
personnel in their controlled areas.
(ST)
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20 June 04:09, by Marco A. Wek
UN requesting approval to bring attack helicopters? Really? Why
didn’t they took attacking helicopters to Ukraine, Syria or Isreal
during the crisis last year? You see,that is why I agreed with South
African government refusal to arrest president Omar Al Bashir.
Something is fishy with these people. If South Sudan agrees to this
nonsense then that will their end. Last year it was landmines.
repondre message
20 June 04:14, by Lotodo Awino Odug
Just ask them to pack their stuffs and get the fuck out of our
country. their continuous presence will cost us more lives then the
one they claimed to have saved.
repondre message
20 June 06:32, by Hardlinner
well south sudan does not need UN attack helicopters and uvs.
firstly UN is not under any attack from both waring parties. therefore
what is the need for the attack helicopters. I bet this UN have hidden
agenda in south sudan.
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