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STORY: UN / UNMISS FORCE COMMANDER INTERVIEW
TRT: 05:18
SOURCE: UN NEWS / UNMISS
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 04 JULY 2024, JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN / FILE
FILE - UNMISS – 08, 09 SEPTEMBER 2022, MALAKAL, SOUTH SUDAN
1. Various shots, UNMISS Force Commander Lt. General Mohan Subramanian arrival by helicopter
2. Various shots, Subramanian on boat patrol on the River Nile
3. Med shot, Subramanian being briefed
04 JULY 2024, JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Lt. General Mohan Subramanian, Force Commander, United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS):
“River Nile, as you know, runs through the country, and there was a very volatile security situation all around it. And at that time, to ensure that the sustenance of all our troops and peacekeepers were deployed on either side of the River Nile along the length and width of the river, was a very big challenge. The security situation was quite volatile. We had ethnic clashes breaking out in various parts of the country. That was the immediate challenge that I faced when I came in July 22.”
FILE - UNMISS – SOUTH SUDAN
5. Various shots, South Sudanese civilians, and UN peacekeepers
04 JULY 2024, JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Lt. General Mohan Subramanian, Force Commander, United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS):
“The fact that the country has not relapsed into civil war or national level violence, or that the national level ceasefire has held from 2018 till date is a testimony to the reasonable success of our mandate delivery functions. We also ensured a focus on prevention rather than reaction, which implies a change that we should expand our footprint in terms of being present in more locations, both on a permanent basis as well as in patrols and it also implies, we improve our early warning. It also implies that we have greater engagement with the various stakeholders and put the national organized forces in the forefront in preventing conflicts. And it also implies that we have a mindset change in our peacekeepers, which I think to a large extent is a continuous process. But I think we are much better off now than we were a few years ago.”
FILE - UNMISS - 29 AUGUST 2022, JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN
7. Various shots, Subramanian reviewing troops
04 JULY 2024, JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Lt. General Mohan Subramanian, Force Commander, United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS):
“We have elections around the corner. We expect a slight spurt or maybe more than slight spurt in violence before the elections, during the elections, and after the elections for which we are well prepared. We have the Sudanese war, which has got an economic impact and a humanitarian impact. Those effects are also reaching crescendo at this time on South Sudan. South Sudan is set to face the worst ever floods in 120 years in the period between October to December 2024. All these factors put together, as well as the prevailing subnational violence environment.”
FILE - UNMISS – 08, 09 SEPTEMBER 2022, MALAKAL, SOUTH SUDAN
9. Various shots, Subramanian during official visit to Malakal
04 JULY 2024, JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Lt. General Mohan Subramanian, Force Commander, United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS):
“Here, our focus is protection of civilians, protection of civilians caught in conflict. That's our priority and ensuring humanitarian assistance to the needy and providing a secure environment for ensuring the same. That becomes our priority. There are you are not working in your country where you have the complete support of the host government. That's your own government as well as the population. Here we are working in an absolutely different country, a host government which has its own environment, which has its own population dynamics, which has its own notions of sovereignty, which we cannot defend. Therefore, we work within the sensitivity of these sensitivities and acceptance and concern to the government. And we also have to ensure that the UN principles are held uppermost in our actions. The public support that we normally take for granted in national environment sometimes has to be earned here by actions that are keeping with United Nations policies and principles and with ensuring robust meeting of their expectations.”
FILE - UNMISS - 29 AUGUST 2022, JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN
11. Various shots, Subramanian signing documents
12. Various shots, Subramanian reviewing troops
04 JULY 2024, JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Lt. General Mohan Subramanian, Force Commander, United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS):
“In an era when everybody is doubting the efficacy of United Nations peacekeeping missions as we know them, I can see that the United Nations mission in South Sudan can be a beacon which reinforces the hope in this tool at the hands of the international community to enforce international peace. And we follow these United Nations principles steadfastly.”
FILE - UNMISS – 08, 09 SEPTEMBER 2022, MALAKAL, SOUTH SUDAN
14. Various shots, Subramanian reviewing troops
As December elections loom in South Sudan and humanitarian, economic, social, and political crises persist, United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) Force Commander Lieutenant General Mohan Subramanian said, the focus remains the “protection of civilians caught in conflict.”
In an interview with UN News spoke of the challenges he faced upon arrival in the country.
SOUNDBITE (English) Lt. General Mohan Subramanian, Force Commander, United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS):
“River Nile, as you know, runs through the country, and there was a very volatile security situation all around it. And at that time, to ensure that the sustenance of all our troops and peacekeepers were deployed on either side of the River Nile along the length and width of the river, was a very big challenge. The security situation was quite volatile. We had ethnic clashes breaking out in various parts of the country. That was the immediate challenge that I faced when I came in July 22.”
Despite these challenges, Subramanian highlighted the accomplishments of the mission.
SOUNDBITE (English) Lt. General Mohan Subramanian, Force Commander, United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS):
“The fact that the country has not relapsed into civil war or national level violence, or that the national level ceasefire has held from 2018 till date is a testimony to the reasonable success of our mandate delivery functions. We also ensured a focus on prevention rather than reaction, which implies a change that we should expand our footprint in terms of being present in more locations, both on a permanent basis as well as in patrols and it also implies, we improve our early warning. It also implies that we have greater engagement with the various stakeholders and put the national organized forces in the forefront in preventing conflicts. And it also implies that we have a mindset change in our peacekeepers, which I think to a large extent is a continuous process. But I think we are much better off now than we were a few years ago.”
He spoke of the previously volatile security situation and peacekeeping challenges in the months ahead.
SOUNDBITE (English) Lt. General Mohan Subramanian, Force Commander, United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS):
“We have elections around the corner. We expect a slight spurt or maybe more than slight spurt in violence before the elections, during the elections, and after the elections for which we are well prepared. We have the Sudanese war, which has got an economic impact and a humanitarian impact. Those effects are also reaching crescendo at this time on South Sudan. South Sudan is set to face the worst ever floods in 120 years in the period between October to December 2024. All these factors put together, as well as the prevailing subnational violence environment.”
Subramanian explained the challenges the Mission anticipates during the election season, while noting plans to strengthen peacekeeping efforts, which includes enhancing the mission’s footprint across South Sudan and ensuring accurate information reaches eager voters.
SOUNDBITE (English) Lt. General Mohan Subramanian, Force Commander, United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS):
“Here, our focus is protection of civilians, protection of civilians caught in conflict. That's our priority and ensuring humanitarian assistance to the needy and providing a secure environment for ensuring the same. That becomes our priority. There are you are not working in your country where you have the complete support of the host government. That's your own government as well as the population. Here we are working in an absolutely different country, a host government which has its own environment, which has its own population dynamics, which has its own notions of sovereignty, which we cannot defend. Therefore, we work within the sensitivity of these sensitivities and acceptance and concern to the government. And we also have to ensure that the UN principles are held uppermost in our actions. The public support that we normally take for granted in national environment sometimes has to be earned here by actions that are keeping with United Nations policies and principles and with ensuring robust meeting of their expectations.”
He explained how UNMISS expects to continue to provide services to maintain a conducive environment, as well as to serve as an example for other missions.
SOUNDBITE (English) Lt. General Mohan Subramanian, Force Commander, United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS):
“In an era when everybody is doubting the efficacy of United Nations peacekeeping missions as we know them, I can see that the United Nations mission in South Sudan can be a beacon which reinforces the hope in this tool at the hands of the international community to enforce international peace. And we follow these United Nations principles steadfastly.”
