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UN PhotoSOUTH SUDAN / WONDURUBA PEACEKEEPERS PATROL
UNIFEED STORY: SOUTH SUDAN / WONDURUBA PEACEKEEPERS PATROL
TRT: 03:00
SOURCE: UNMISS
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 12 NOVEMBER 2024, CENTRAL EQUATORIA STATE, SOUTH SUDAN
1. Various Shots, Convoy
2. SOUNDBITE Lieutenant-General, Mohan Subramanian, UNMISS Force Commander:
“We try our best. We go to some check posts, try our best not to aggravate the situation, try our best not to get into a conflict situation with the people in the check post, but then however, ultimately what suffers is our ability to reach the locations, where if we reach, we will save lives of South Sudanese citizens. That saving of lives is averted by these access denials.”
3. Various Shots, Preparation for night hold
4. SOUNDBITE Lieutenant-General, Mohan Subramanian, UNMISS Force Commander:
“On the face of it, it may look that the numbers are insignificant, but these are the 15 patrols which are in places of imminent clashes. These are the places we feel the protection of civilians concerns is at most, so in these places, if we are not able to go then obviously, without showing our presence, we obviously cannot prevent escalation of the conflict. [EDIT POINT] If the government is able to reach that place, if the armed forces are able to reach that place and prevent the conflict, we are more than happy but, in places where they are not able to reach or the conflict is not getting prevented or prevention of escalation is not taking place, we have to go. So, these access denials though only 15 patrols in a month, maybe only two to three percent of our patrols overall, but they can be crippling in our implementation of our protection of civilians mandate.”
5. Various Shots, Convoy
6. SOUNDBITE Lieutenant-General, Mohan Subramanian, UNMISS Force Commander:
“We request the government that, one of the surest ways of ensuring that we collectively fulfil the protection of civilians mandate, is by ensuring unfettered access to UNMISS. We have never ever gone against the interests of peace in South Sudan. And there is no reason to feel that UNMISS going anywhere will create any difficulty for the government or the peace agreement. It will actually promote our efforts in this regard.”
Early morning at the United Nations Mission in South Sudan’s compound in the capital Juba, peacekeepers are preparing for a patrol to a notoriously unsafe part of the country where civilians have been killed and displaced.
Led by an Armoured Personnel Carrier and protected by Rwandan peacekeepers, the convoy snakes its way through the city to connect with the main road south towards conflict-affected Wonduruba in Central Equatoria State.
The 122-kilometer distance be a two-hour drive. But the treacherous terrain, with heavily flooded and damaged roads, forces the convoy to travel for more than seven hours. The peacekeepers camp out on the roadside overnight, sleeping in a hastily erected tent and cooking a simple meal in metal pots over charcoal fires. In the morning, they continue their journey. But just five kilometers from Lainya town, the patrol is stopped at a checkpoint. Despite intensive negotiations, they are forced by security forces to turn back.
SOUNDBITE Lieutenant-General, Mohan Subramanian, UNMISS Force Commander:
“We try our best. We go to some check posts, try our best not to aggravate the situation, try our best not to get into a conflict situation with the people in the check post, but then however, ultimately what suffers is our ability to reach the locations, where if we reach, we will save lives of South Sudanese citizens. That saving of lives is averted by these access denials.”
While a South Sudanese delegation is now investigating the violence in Wonduruba, UNMISS and other organizations charged with monitoring, preventing and responding to violence have been denied access since April 2024. In the past seven weeks, UNMISS patrols have been turned back at checkpoints three times. It is an example of a worrying trend in preventing UN peacekeepers reaching and protecting people in danger. Of the 700 Force patrols conducted by UNMISS each month, most take place unhindered. But in a few cases, UNMISS is repeatedly refused access.
SOUNDBITE Lieutenant-General, Mohan Subramanian, UNMISS Force Commander:
“On the face of it, it may look that the numbers are insignificant, but these are the 15 patrols which are in places of imminent clashes. These are the places we feel the protection of civilians concerns is at most, so in these places, if we are not able to go then obviously, without showing our presence, we obviously cannot prevent escalation of the conflict. [EDIT POINT] If the government is able to reach that place, if the armed forces are able to reach that place and prevent the conflict, we are more than happy but, in places where they are not able to reach or the conflict is not getting prevented or prevention of escalation is not taking place, we have to go. So, these access denials though only 15 patrols in a month, maybe only two to three percent of our patrols overall, but they can be crippling in our implementation of our protection of civilians mandate.”
Maintaining a strong, positive relationship with the host government and security services is vital for UNMISS, but so is keeping the trust and confidence of the communities it serves, as it supports the peace efforts, facilitates safe delivery of humanitarian aid to millions in need, investigates and reports on human rights violations, and works to prevent a relapse into widespread conflict.
SOUNDBITE Lieutenant-General, Mohan Subramanian, UNMISS Force Commander:
“We request the government that, one of the surest ways of ensuring that we collectively fulfil the protection of civilians mandate, is by ensuring unfettered access to UNMISS. We have never ever gone against the interests of peace in South Sudan. And there is no reason to feel that UNMISS going anywhere will create any difficulty for the government or the peace agreement. It will actually promote our efforts in this regard.”
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