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STORY: UN / SOUTH SUDAN UPDATE
TRT: 1.46
SOURCE: UNTV / UNMISS
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 19 DECEMBER 2013, NEW YORK CITY
FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations Headquarters
DATELINE: 19 DECEMBER 2013, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, UN Deputy-Secretary-General and UN Spokesperson entering into the press briefing room
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Jan Eliasson, Deputy-Secretary-General, United Nations:
“Violence is spreading and could spread even further. We need all South Sudanese leaders and political personalities now to immediately appeal to calm and call on their supporters to suspend hostilities”.
4. Wide shot, journalists
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Jan Eliasson, Deputy-Secretary-General, United Nations:
“I welcome reports this morning that President Salva Kiir is willing to entering to talks and deplore the call by some from the [Riek] Machar camp to topple the government. In fact, we have reports also about a willingness to go into dialogue from that side.
6. Med shot, presser
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Farhan Haq, Associate Spokesperson for the Secretary-General:
“The situation in Jonglei has deteriorated. In Akobo, earlier today, where civilians have gathered including 32 as of last night, Lou Nuer youth have reportedly forced an entry into the UNMISS Temporary Operating Base to reach to those civilians. Fighting took place and we are yet to ascertain the situation. We fear there may have been some fatalities but can't confirm who and how many at this stage.”
8. Wide shot, press conference room
FILE - UNMISS - 19 DECEMBER 2013, RUBKONA, UNITY STATE, SOUTH SUDAN
9. Wide shot, people lining up in front of UN compound
10. Med shot, UN official registering a man
11. Wide shot, people sitting in the grass
12. Med shot, UN soldiers raising the shelter
13. Med shot, people in front of UN water truck
During a press conference at the UN Headquarters, Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson expressed today (19 December) his deep concern about the current situation in South Sudan, adding in that “this is a political crisis that urgently needs to be dealt through a political dialogue.”
SOUNDBITE (English) Jan Eliasson, Deputy-Secretary-General, United Nations:
“Violence is spreading and could spread even further. We need all South Sudanese leaders and political personalities now to immediately appeal to calm and call on their supporters to suspend hostilities”.
He stressed that UN has received reports of people killed and injured and those reports are in the process of verifying.
Eliassson recalled that the Peacekeeping Force mandate in South Sudan includes the protection of civilians, adding that UNMISS takes its mandate very seriously “particularly in this situation when clearly civilians are in danger.”
SOUNDBITE (English) Jan Eliasson, Deputy-Secretary-General, United Nations:
“I welcome reports this morning that President Salva Kiir is willing to entering to talks and deplore the call by some from the [Riek] Machar camp to topple the government. In fact, we have reports also about a willingness to go into dialogue from that side.
Also at the press conference, the UN spokesperson, Farhan Haq, said that while the situation in central Juba appears to have calmed down to some extent, reports of civilians seeking protection continue.
In reference to unconfirmed reports of several students killed by security personnel in Juba University on Wednesday (18 December), Haq said that several hundred students reportedly remaining on campus have requested assistance from the UN Mission in South Sudan. He added that a patrol is scheduled for the area this afternoon.
He explained that in another location in Juba, called the Kator complex, approximately 2,000-5,000 civilians have sought refuge and have called for force protection from the UN Mission. A patrol is en route, he added.
SOUNDBITE (English) Farhan Haq, Associate Spokesperson for the Secretary-General:
“The situation in Jonglei has deteriorated. In Akobo, earlier today, where civilians have gathered including 32 as of last night, Lou Nuer youth have reportedly forced an entry into the UNMISS Temporary Operating Base to reach to those civilians. Fighting took place and we are yet to ascertain the situation. We fear there may have been some fatalities but can't confirm who and how many at this stage.”
In a press release, UNMISS reported that the peacekeeping base in Akobo (Jonglei state) was breached today by upwards of 1,500 Lou Nuer youth seeking to claim custody of some 30 Dinka elements – a mix of civilians and police and prison officials – who where seeking refuge with peacekeepers there.
The Mission report also refers to gunfire and unconfirmed word of associated casualties, including two peacekeepers possibly killed and a third seriously injured. Similarly unconfirmed information refers to six UN Police personnel and 12 civilian UN staff accounted for; there are conflicting reports of UN staff possibly being held hostage. It has also been suggested that some SPLA (Lou Nuer) personnel intervened to shepherd UN personnel to safety.
UNMISS is working to confirm the status of all affected civilian and uniformed UN personnel. Medical support is being dispatched and the Mission presently intends to attempt an extraction, to Malakal (Upper Nile state), at first light tomorrow (Local Time).
UNMISS also reports that, elsewhere in Jonglei state, small arms fire was directed at Mission premises in Bor, with one rocket-propelled grenade round impacting (but not exploding) within UNMISS premises earlier today.
