March 28, 2025 11:18 pm (IST)
Follow us:
South Sudan: UN calls for protection of aid workers
New York, May 22 (IBNS): The United Nations peacekeeping mission in South Sudan on Wednesday demanded unhindered freedom of movement for aid workers after alleged members of South Sudan's security forces assaulted and illegally detained two UN staff.
The UN Mission in the country (UNMISS) “remains concerned about incidents, including assault, detention and harassment of its staff, that have recently occurred and exposed its personnel to serious security risks,” a UN spokesperson said.
The incidents, reported recently in Juba, occurred despite public reassurances from President Salva Kiir, who met with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon earlier this month, and told the UN chief the Government was committed to cooperating with the Mission.
UNMISS has been protecting tens of thousands of civilians on its peacekeeping bases for months since political infighting between President Salva Kiir, and former Vice President Riek Machar turned into a full-fledged violence.
“These acts are illegal and in clear violations of the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA),” the UN spokesperson said referring to the agreement which regulates relations between UNMISS and the Government.
The Mission has asked the Government to immediately investigate these violations and bring the perpetrators to justice.
Meanwhile, the number of cholera cases has continued to rise in Juba, the UN on Wednesday reported.
At least 266 cases were confirmed since 20 May, 13 of them fatal. The majority of cases are treated at the Juba Teaching Hospital Cholera Treatment Centre, which is also monitoring water quality, water treatment and provision of clean drinking.
“UNMISS engineers and humanitarian partners are working hard to improve hygiene, water and sanitation inside the UN bases and are clearing drainage systems,” a spokesperson said.
The UN is also working on “decongestion of the overcrowded UN bases” especially in Bentiu, Bor and Malakal. Civilians are either being relocated to new sites or onto widened areas at present bases.
Among other precautions, cholera vaccination is ongoing in Bentiu with 13,219 people inoculated this week. In Jonglei state, cholera preparedness and response measures are also in place, including a cholera treatment centre, the spokesperson said.
(IDPs at the UNMISS base in the Jonglei State capital Bor lining up to receive food and charcoal from aid workers. Photo: UNMISS/Evelien Vleehouwers)
Support Our Journalism
We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism
IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.
Support objective journalism for a small contribution.
Latest Headlines
Israel-Gaza crisis: IDF eliminates Hamas spokesman Abdul Latif al-Qanou In northern Gaza
Fri, Mar 28 2025
'Now it's our turn': Vladimir Putin accepts Narendra Modi's invitation to visit India
Thu, Mar 27 2025
Trump downplays security breach after Atlantic editor mistakenly added to classified Signal chat
Thu, Mar 27 2025
UN data shows a record 2514 migrants died in 2024 in Asia
Wed, Mar 26 2025
South Sudan on the brink of civil war, warns top UN official
Tue, Mar 25 2025
Oscar-winning Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal attacked, arrested In West Bank, claims co-directors
Tue, Mar 25 2025
Yemen: US airstrike on residential building in Sanaa kills 1
Mon, Mar 24 2025