SOUTH SUDAN / HILDE JOHNSON PRESSER

Hilde Johnson the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary General in South Sudan condemns the use of hate messages inciting ethnic violence across south Sudan's Jonglei state. UNMISS

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:23
• Production Date: 19 January 2012
• Asset Language: Original
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS MISSION IN SOUTH SUDAN – UNMISS
• Subject Topical: PEACE AND SECURITY; DISARMAMENT; POLITICAL CONDITIONS; HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
• Geographic Subject: SOUTH SUDAN
• MAMS Id: U120119a

Description

STORY: SOUTH SUDAN / HILDE JOHNSON PRESSER
TRT: 2.23
SOURCE: UNMISS
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH /NATS

DATELINE: 19 JANUARY 2012, JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN

Shotlist

1. Wide shot, journalist at press conference
2. Med shot, UN Special Representative for the Secretary-General in South Sudan, Hilde Johnson addressing the press
3. Med shot, cameramen at the conference
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Hilde F. Johnson, Special Representative of the Secretary General for South Sudan:
“We are deeply concerned about the hate messages that have been made by some individuals and groups. The statements could incite systematic ethnic violence. Threats were made to wipe out an entire ethnic group from the face of the earth. Such statements are in violation of both international law and South Sudan’s domestic law. Any statements that could incite ethnically based violence are totally unacceptable. The United Nation condemns them in the strongest terms.”
5. Wide shot, journalist asking questions
6. Med shot, journalist at the press conference
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Hilde F. Johnson, Special Representative of the Secretary General for South Sudan:
“Sadly the chain of retaliatory violence continues unbroken, as we all know a number of attacks have in the last few days happened on the Lou Nuer communities and now also the Dinka communities in the state. We have been relocating out military force to the locations under most risk and threat in both communal areas. There role will be primarily to act as a deterrent to attacks from other communities.”
8. Med shot, cameramen at the press conference
9. Close up, face of journalist
10. Close up, journalist writing in a notebook
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Hilde F. Johnson, Special Representative of the Secretary General for South Sudan:
“It’s a very different way of operating than the attacks we have and are now seeing in the Lou Nuer and the Dinka areas. The attacks are in smaller groups, speedy, unpredictable, follows no particular pattern. And as I mentioned, if we were to predict those we would be doing miracles because we can not predict exactly which village they would attack.”
11. Med shot, cameraman
12. Wide shot, Journalist and Hilde in the press room

Storyline

The United Nations (UN) has condemned in the strongest terms the use of hate messages inciting ethnic violence across south Sudan’s Jonglei state.

Addressing journalists today (19 January) in Juba the capital of the Republic of South Sudan, Hilde Johnson the UN Special Representative of the Secretary General for South Sudan voiced deep concern about hate messages delivered by some individuals and groups, which she said could incite systematic ethnic violence. “Any statements that could incite ethnically based violence are totally unacceptable

Retaliatory violence has continued, with a number of attacks in the past few days on Lou Nuer and Dinka communities, she reported.

UN peacekeepers have been deployed to the area in recent weeks to support the efforts of Government forces to restore peace and security, and daily air and land patrols have been stepped up to deter further attacks. However, the Mission has a shortfall of operational helicopters, seriously affecting its ability to carry out its mandate.

Johnson pointed out that the Mission took “decisive” measures, including committing around half of its combat-ready personnel to the heavily-populated areas of Pibor and Likuongole.

“We have been relocating out military force to the locations under most risk and threat in both communal areas. There role will be primarily to act as a deterrent to attacks from other communities,” she said.

UNMISS remained very concerned about the deterioration of the humanitarian situation and reiterated its call on the international community to respond generously and rapidly to humanitarian needs.

The UN humanitarian community has launched one of the most complex and expensive emergency operations in South Sudan, aimed at assisting 60,000 people in the affected area. UNMISS will continue to assist in delivering vital supplies, particularly in remote areas where some of the most vulnerable people are located.