SOUTH SUDAN / WAU CIVILIANS PROTECTION

The UN and local police in Wau, South Sudan have developed a new system of cooperation to ensure civilians safety at the UN Protection of Civilians site. The site is currently sheltering over 32,000 people. UNMISS

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:46
• Production Date: 20 September 2017
• Asset Language: English
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS MISSION IN SOUTH SUDAN – UNMISS; UNITED NATIONS POLICE – UNPOL
• Subject Topical: CIVILIAN PROTECTION
• Geographic Subject: SOUTH SUDAN
• MAMS Id: 1972970
• Parent Id: 1972970
• Alternate Title: unifeed170920f

Description

STORY: SOUTH SUDAN / WAU CIVILIANS PROTECTION
TRT: 2:46
SOURCE: UNMISS
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH

DATELINE: 20 SEPTEMBER 2017, WAU, SOUTH SUDAN

Shotlist

1. Wide shot, Protection of Civilians (POC) site, Wau
2. Med shot, Internal Displaced Person (IDP) walking in POC site
3. Track shot, abandoned houses
4. Track shot, abandoned houses
5. Wide shot, United Nations Police (UNPOL) and Police commissioner walking
6. Wide shot, UNPOL and Police commissioner talking
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Chol Thuc Chol, Police Commissioner:
“United Nations is c ooperating with the police effectively. In other way, there is cooperation and coordination with the police. // It is very important because this cooperation is helping us to be able to discharge our duties.”
8. Med shot, IDP walking
9. Wide shot, IDP activities
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Gordana Mitrovich, Protection of Civilians (POC) sites, United Nations Police (UNPOL):
“We are here to provide protection if people do not feel secure outside but we cannot protect them from South Sudanese law. So once they commit a crime in the POC site they will be handed over to the police station. In fact, IDPs or people in the POC site are citizens of South Sudan so they have to respond to the South Sudanese law.”
11. Wide shot, UNPOL POC site coordinator with local police
12. Various shots, local police
13. Wide Shot, police gate
14. Wide shot, police guards
15. Wide shot, UNPOL and Police commissioner talking
16. Right pan, police station
17. Close up, QIP Signboard
18. SOUNDBITE (English) Chol Thuc Chol, Police Commissioner:
“They have assisted us in so many areas and one of the areas is the construction of the police station in Uadit and they also help renovations of police stations and even there is training of personnel, officers and other ranks and other areas.”
19. Various shots, abandoned house, Wau
20. Various shots, IDP walking

Storyline

Over 32,000 people who have fled ongoing violence across South Sudan are currently sheltering at the United Nations Protection of Civilians site in Wau.

The site, in the Western Bahr El Ghazal region, is like a small town with market stalls, schools, and medical facilities run by humanitarian partners. Like any other town, and despite the efforts of community watch groups, crime including robbery and rape remains a problem for residents.

However, UN and local police have developed a new system of cooperation to tackle crime and keep the community safe.

SOUNDBITE (English) Chol Thuc Chol, Police Commissioner:
“United Nations is cooperating with the police effectively. In other way, there is cooperation and coordination with the police. It is very important because this cooperation is helping us to be able to discharge our duties.”

Those accused of crimes at the camp are now handed to the local police to process through the justice system.

SOUNDBITE (English) Gordana Mitrovich, Protection of Civilians (POC) sites, United Nations Police (UNPOL):
“We are here to provide protection if people do not feel secure outside but we cannot protect them from South Sudanese law. So once they commit a crime in the POC site they will be handed over to the police station. In fact, IDPs or people in the POC site are citizens of South Sudan so they have to respond to the South Sudanese law.”

UNMISS says this approach has significantly reduced the crime rate to just three or four cases a week because people now know that, if they break the law, there will be consequences.

A UN police assessment team follows up on reported cases to ensure investigations are handled appropriately and that human rights are respected.

About 300 criminal cases have been transferred to local police so far with 50 offenders found guilty and sentenced.

Previously police in Wau town operated from under a tree with residents forced to travel seven kilometres to seek help from the nearest police station. However, the UN Mission in South Sudan has helped rebuild much-needed new infrastructure to improve law and order and build durable peace.

SOUNDBITE (English) Chol Thuc Chol, Police Commissioner:
“They have assisted us in so many areas and one of the areas is the construction of the police station in Uadit and they also help with renovations of police stations and there is even training of personnel, officers and other ranks and other areas.”

Once a thriving city, many shops and homes in Wau remain abandoned since the fresh outbreak of violence in 2016. But there is hope that the new cooperation between UN and local police will restore security both inside and outside the protection site so that internally displaced people will feel confident enough to return to their homes.