SOUTH SUDAN / BENITU BOMBINGS

The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) today deplored the continued aerial bombardments in Bentiu town in the country's Unity state, and called on the country and its neighbour, Sudan, to take all measures to ensure the safety of civilians. UNMISS

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:01:38
• Production Date: 23 April 2012
• Asset Language: Original
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS MISSION IN SOUTH SUDAN – UNMISS
• Subject Topical: POLITICAL AFFAIRS; LAW; INTERNATIONAL LAW; POLITICAL CONDITIONS; POLITICAL CONDITIONS; POLITICAL MOVEMENTS; INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS; PEACE AND SECURITY
• Geographic Subject: SUDAN; SOUTH SUDAN
• MAMS Id: U120423c

Description

STORY: SOUTH SUDAN / BENTIU BOMBINGS
TRT: 1:38
SOURCE: UNMISS
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 23 APRIL 2012, BENTIU, JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN

Shotlist

23 APRIL 2012, BENTIU, SOUTH SUDAN

1. Still photo, burning market
2. Still photo, burning market
3. Still photo, iron-roofing structure destroyed by shrapnel
4. Still photo, covered burnt body

23 APRIL 2012, JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN

5. Med shot, journalist
6. Close up, camera recording at press conference
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Hilde F. Johnson, Special Representative for Secretary General to South Sudan:
"We deplore the continuing bombing of Unity State capital Bentiu and its civilian population and civilian locations have been hit repeatedly both last weekend as well as this morning."
8. Wide shot, journalist at press conference
9. Med shot, journalist with camera
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Hilde F. Johnson, Special Representative for Secretary General to South Sudan:
"These attacks are also coming as a consequence of the increase in tensions and cross boarded problems between the republic of Sudan and the republic of South Sudan. And the second we can do as part of the protection of civilians mandate is to clearly advocate for these bombing and aerial bombardments to stop and they are indiscriminate, they are killing civilians, they are wounding civilians and they have to stop."
11. Wide shot, UN military observers at one of the bomb sites
12. Wide shot, soldiers pointing in the air

Storyline

The Special Representative for Secretary General for South Sudan Hilde Johnson today strongly condemned the bombings of the towns of Bentiu and Rubkona by the Republic of Sudan that left at least two civilians dead and ten injured.

Sudanese warplanes carried out air strikes today (23 Apr), three days after South Sudan pulled out of oil rich town of Heglig.

At a press conference today, UN special envoy for South Sudan Hilde Johnson said that the mission deplored the continued aerial bombardments in Bentiu town, which is heavily populated by civilians.

SOUNDBITE (English) Hilde Johnson, Special Representative for the Secretary- General to South Sudan:

"We deplore the continuing bombing of Unity State capital Bentiu and its civilian population and civilian locations have been hit repeatedly both last weekend as well as this morning."

Today’s raid which happened in the early hours of the morning, not only paralyzed normal activities but forced hundreds to abandoned Bentiu and Rubkona for nearby villages to safety.

Ms. Johnson clarified that although UNMISS has a protection of civilian mandate “this mandate does not protect South Sudanese territory and is not set there to protect property,” nor does the mission have the military capabilities to protect civilians from the airstrikes.

SOUNDBITE (English) Hilde F. Johnson - Special Representative for Secretary General to South Sudan

"These attacks are also coming as a consequence of the increase in tensions and cross boarder problems between the republic of Sudan and the republic of South Sudan. And the second we can do as part of the protection of civilians mandate is to clearly advocate for these bombing and aerial bombardments to stop and they are indiscriminate, they are killing civilians, they are wounding civilians and they have to stop."

Ms. Johnson reminded the parties to the conflict of their obligation to abide by international human rights and humanitarian law, take all measures not to harm civilians and guarantee the safety of international aid organizations and United Nations personnel and assets.

She said UNMISS has a presence in South Sudan only and cannot verify anything happening across the border or the means beyond the two above to address this conflict.

News of the bombing come at the heels of the worst fighting between the armies of the two countries over the oil rich town of Heglig, which lies inside Sudan’s South Kordofan state.

South Sudan took over the town of Heglig from Sudan Armed Forces almost two weeks ago before losing it to Khartoum on Friday.

Juba says it withdrew voluntarily upon orders from President Salva Kiir while Khartoum insists that it managed to force out South Sudan Army (SPLA). Weeks of border fighting between Sudan and South Sudan have brought both countries closer to a full-blown war than at any time since the South seceded in July 2011.