Showing posts with label UNMISS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label UNMISS. Show all posts

Friday, February 09, 2024

South Sudan: UNMISS condemns attack on aid convoy in Aniydi Payam of Bor South County of Jonglei State

leading cartoonist @AdijaAcuil, has really painted the current state of the nation. The govt must protect the civil population and their properties wherever they are".
Credit: Cartoonist @AdijaAcuil Source:
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Africa Press Release via APO and Zany.com
By United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) 
Dated Friday, 9 February 2024 - here is a copy in full:

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) condemns attack on humanitarian convoy near Bor, Jonglei


The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) strongly condemns an attack on a humanitarian convoy that was being escorted by peacekeepers in Aniydi Payam of Bor South County of Jonglei State.


As the convoy passed through Macdit, 60 kilometres from Bor town, a group of armed men emerged from the bushes and one opened fire on the UN vehicles. An UNMISS vehicle was damaged, but fortunately there were no casualties. UNMISS peacekeepers returned fire and repelled the attackers.


“This attack threatened the lives of humanitarians delivering vital assistance to communities in need as well as peacekeepers providing protection. It is utterly unacceptable,” said Nicholas Haysom, the Secretary General’s Special Representative to South Sudan and head of UNMISS.


“We appreciate the response of the Government of Jonglei State who rapidly dispatched a joint protection team of local forces to the location to provide support. It is important that a thorough investigation takes place and that the perpetrators are held accountable,” he said.


Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).


View original: https://www.zawya.com/en/press-release/africa-press-releases/the-united-nations-mission-in-south-sudan-unmiss-condemns-attack-on-humanitarian-convoy-near-bor-jonglei-bvnj6u8x


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Wednesday, February 07, 2024

Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps Departs for S. Sudan

NOTE from Sudan Watch Editor: Any attack on a peacekeeper constitutes a war crime. Sadly, the bodies of two UN peacekeepers, one from Ghana and the other from Pakistan, were flown home from South Sudan last week. I have documented news of hundreds of peacekeepers being murdered in Sudan and South Sudan. They gave their lives to protect a thankless lot. 

Sudanis and aid orgs on social media are demanding the international community to help. It is time they pressure African leaders and African Union for help. To paraphrase the previous prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Luis Moreno Ocampo: the international community is like a unicorn, everyone knows what a unicorn looks like but it doesn't exist.   

Over the last 60-70+ years, millions of people outside Africa have reached out to help those in Africa less fortunate than themselves. I guess there has come a time when many of those who are still alive couldn't be more disappointed in South Sudan after all the hard work, goodwill and money freely given to help them on their feet. Money to pay for aid, protection and organisations such as the United Nations and the ICC comes from the pockets of hardworking taxpayers in developed countries across the world. 

Sudan and South Sudan have had enough time to get their house in order. The world will not forget them but can't afford to subsidise them forever. Time marches on, the world changes. Russia is at war with Ukraine. Israel is at war with Gaza. The US, UK and French navies are stationed in the Red Sea to protect trade routes. Europe has war at its door. The US has bigger fish to fry. The UK is in the crosshairs of Russia. Foreign aid budgets will need to be cut and illegal migrants stamped out. Sudan and South Sudan are rich enough to pay their own way and look after their own. Tough love is in order.

From News First
Written by Staff Writer    
Dated Tuesday, 06 February 2024, 2:16 PM - here is a copy in full:

Army Medical Corps Departs for South Sudan

COLOMBO (News 1st); The 10th contingent of the Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps (SLAMC) departed Sri Lanka early this morning (06 February), to assume duties at the Level-2 SRIMED Hospital in the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).


The 10th South Sudan bound contingent, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel D.M.D.J Dissanayake RSP USP and Second in Command, Major N.I Rathnayake, comprises 64 Army personnel, including 14 Army Officers, 01 Naval Officer and 49 Other Ranks.


Representing the Commander of the Army, Major General P.A.C. Fernando USP, Colonel Commandant, SLAMC and Director General Army Health Services, Brigadier G.L.S.W Liyanage USP psc, Director, Directorate of Overseas Operations, Brigadier W.A.U.S Wanasekara RWP USP, Centre Commandant, SLAMC and other Senior Officers bid farewell to the contingent at the Bandaranaike International Airport.

View original: https://www.newsfirst.lk/2024/02/06/army-medical-corps-departs-for-south-sudan/


Related


FROM AFP NEWS 

Sudan Conflict: $4.1 Billion Needed For Humanitarian Aid In 2024

Wednesday, 7 February 2024

https://www.barrons.com/news/sudan-conflict-4-1-billion-needed-for-humanitarian-aid-in-2024-35f3c888


FROM UN NEWS

UN appeals for $4.1 billion in aid for war-torn Sudan and refugee-hosting countries

Wednesday, 7 February 2024

The United Nations on Wednesday urged countries not to forget millions of people caught up in the war between rival militaries in Sudan, as it called for $4.1 billion to help stave off famine and help those who have fled into neighbouring countries. “Half of Sudan’s population, 25 million people, needs humanitarian assistance,” Martin Griffiths, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, told journalists in Geneva. 

The appeal comprises two key components: the $2.7 billion Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan, targeting 14.7 million people within Sudan, and the $1.4 billion Regional Refugee Response Plan, aimed at assisting 2.7 million people in five countries surrounding Sudan. 

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) will manage the response in Sudan, while the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) will lead the regional initiative. 

Full story: https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/02/1146317


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Friday, December 15, 2023

South Sudan named in most dangerous countries to visit - “security” highest warning level of “extreme”

Report from The Independent - independent.co.uk/news/world
By Helen Coffey
Dated Friday, 15 December 2023 - here is a copy in full:

World’s most dangerous countries to visit in 2024 revealed

Lebanon, Palestinian Territories and Russia have all seen notable risk rating increases


The world’s most dangerous countries to visit in 2024 have been revealed in a new study.


South Sudan, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya and Somalia were named as the riskiest nations in the 2024 risk map compiled by medical and security consultancy International SOS.


The annual map assesses various factors to inform travellers and businesses about potential threats in countries across the globe.

It pulls together medical and security risk ratings, reflecting the impact of events such as the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and between Israel and Hamas.


This year, for the first time, the map also includes ratings based on the dangers of climate change, after International SOS saw a rising trend in the number of climate-related alerts being issued to clients as rising global temperatures increased health risks around the world.


The data, compiled by Inform (a collaboration between the Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change and Joint Research Centre of European Commission), estimates the future risk of humanitarian crises and disasters caused by climate change.


“Just one example, the extreme heat events this year, with the first ever named heatwave Cerberus hitting Europe, may become commonplace,” said Dr Irene Lai, global medical director at International SOS.


“In addition to the physical impacts of extreme heat, there can be significant negative effects on mental health. It is essential businesses plan for this, adapting our way of living and working to protect health, while also taking steps to slow and eventually reverse the trend in rising temperatures.”


Countries were graded for each category of risk – medical, security and climate change – on a five-level scale ranging from “low” to “very high” for medical and climate change, and “insignificant” to “extreme” for security.


For “security”, Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen, South Sudan, Central African Republic and Somalia were all given the highest warning level of “extreme”.


Parts of Lebanon, Palestinian Territories, Russia and across the Sahel all saw increases in security risk, alongside Ecuador and parts of Colombia following a rise in criminality and unrest.


View original: https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/most-dangerous-countries-world-2024-b2464568.html


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Sudan & South Sudan: Nicholas Haysom (UNMISS) Briefing to UNSC on situation in Sudan & South Sudan

HERE is a video showing a Summary Briefing to the UN Security Council today (14 Dec) by Nicholas Haysom, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for South Sudan and Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), on the situation in the region. 

Note, the US is the penholder on South Sudan. The UK is the penholder on Sudan. Ecuador currently holds Security Council Presidency. The presidency of the Council is held by each of the members in turn for one month, following the English alphabetical order of the Member States names. Click here to see list for 2023 and 2024. France holds the presidency in Jan 2024.
 

Here is a full copy of Mr. Haysom's Briefing:

Statement by Mr. Nicholas Haysom
Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of UNMISS
United Nations Security Council Briefing
14 December 2023


As delivered


Mr. President,


1. Thank you for the opportunity to brief this Council on the situation in South Sudan.


2. As we conclude the year, it is appropriate to take stock of the implementation of the Revitalized Peace Agreement, particularly as it relates to the milestone of elections, currently scheduled for December 2024, a process which would see South Sudan's transitional period brought to a close.


Update on implementation


3. With only 11 months remaining, the pace of overall implementation towards this objective has been uneven.


4. The Transitional Security Arrangements -- which are agreed to by the parties--remain significantly behind schedule. This is concerning because the Necessary Unified Forces are critical in providing a secure environment to protect civilians before, during and after elections. While recent actions have been taken, there are distinct challenges to the full deployment of the unified forces; chief among them, the distribution of salaries and equipment, and their operationalization under a single unified command especially the appointment of the middle ranks, agreement on which is yet to be achieved.


5. With regard to the permanent constitution making process, it is now 15 months behind the timeline set out in the roadmap and the Revitalised Agreement. The adoption of an amended constitution was agreed to by the parties as a prerequisite for the finalisation of the electoral legal framework and the subsequent holding of the elections. Unfortunately, work on the amendment of the constitution has not properly started although the National Constitutional Review Committee has at last been established.


6. I acknowledge the appointment of members of the National Election Commission, the Political Parties Council, and the National Constitution Review Commission. However, except in the case of the Political Parties Council, complaints have been raised by the opposition as to whether the composition of these bodies is in line with the Revitalised Agreement concerning the gender quota, and agreements on nominees as between the parties. This has led to controversy and the stalling of the swearing-in of the members of these two committees. It is now critical that these bodies are operationalised and resourced with the necessary funding to begin undertaking their considerable responsibilities.


7. In July, the Trilateral Mechanism that is the United Nations (UN), African Union (AU) and IGAD presented a list of 10 questions to be answered by the parties, to create clarity on the elections, including on such issues as the level at which elections will be held, the participation of refugees, and various mechanisms for administration of elections and handling of complaints. The questions also highlighted the importance of agreeing on a voter registration process, the census or any other acceptable source of population data. These questions have so far not been dealt with by the parties, nor an appropriate legal framework set up to resolve these issues.


8. To facilitate movement towards common ground amongst the parties on the proper preparations for the elections, UNMISS has convened Political Party Forums, engaged with Faith Based leaders, Civil Society organisation, IDPs, refugees, and other stakeholders. We have stressed that these decisions should be made in conformity with the peace agreement and in a manner that discourages unilateral decisions, encourages consensus and embodies constructive proposals on how to conduct credible elections by December 2024 in the face of missed timelines. And we have stressed that these decisions can only be made by the South Sudanese themselves.


Indispensable prerequisites


9. Comparative experience suggests that elections are a likely trigger for the relapse into violence in societies emerging from conflict unless adequate time, resources and confidence building measures are invested in their preparations: underscoring notably, the need for agreement amongst the contending parties. South Sudan faces a similar risk and requires the same investment to avoid conflict.


10. Member states have enquired of UNMISS as to whether the country can be considered capable of holding free, fair, credible, and especially peaceful elections. We have clearly stated that, as matters stand now, the country is not yet in a position to hold credible elections, a view shared by almost all key stakeholders across the political spectrum. The consequential question raised by this conclusion is what conditions and institutions must be in place for such an election to be possible and by when will those conditions have to be in place for the elections to meet the December 2024 deadline.


11. The necessary conditions which must be met for these elections are identified in the Secretary General's report before you and include: that a new 'permanent' constitutional framework be in place; that properly trained and equipped unified forces are deployed; that an operational election security plan has been formulated; a clear electoral framework be agreed upon; election institutions and mechanisms be in place; and voter registration modalities and electoral dispute resolution mechanisms are agreed through consensus. There must be an agreed code of conduct for political parties, establishing the parameters of acceptable political behaviour and which allows for a more open political and civic space than the one that currently exists in the country.


12. A "critical mass" of these pre-requisites is necessary for creating the conditions for the conduct of elections that are not only free and fair but also deemed credible and acceptable to South Sudanese citizens. The process of agreeing on these conditions must be one that builds trust in the electoral institutions and acceptance of the outcomes by all participants.


13. Based on consultations with electoral experts, it is our considered view that the critical mass of the pre-requisites outlined above must be in place by April 2024 if peaceful elections are to be conducted by December 2024.


UN Electoral Support


14. We believe that with the necessary political will, a sense of urgency and compromise, the South Sudanese could indeed establish the conditions for elections in December 2024. In support of South Sudan's electoral efforts and as part of a first Phase of preparations, UNMISS is itself actively engaged in promoting an enabling environment for elections through repurposing its staff within existing resources. This involves providing capacity-building support to establish trusted electoral management bodies and a political environment encompassing the necessary political and civic space for a real competitive process.


15. Scaling up UN electoral assistance under Phase 2 would involve concrete logistical and similar support for the conduct of the actual elections; and it remains contingent upon the progress achieved on the pre-requisites by April 2024. This scaling up will, therefore, be also subject to the support of Member States and the consequent availability of necessary resources. While this does not preclude South Sudan opting to proceed with elections without these conditions in place, however, it does serve as a yardstick for the international community's support for an election which would be a nation building event rather than a divisive exercise.


Partnerships and Engagements


16. UNMISS recognises, Mr. President, that creating conditions for peaceful elections requires the support of the international community. For our part, this requires UNMISS to act in partnership with the Member States, the AU, IGAD, EU and the Troika. And in this regard, I have recently engaged with the governments of Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, and Uganda as well as the IGAD Secretariat and AU Peace and Security Council who have all confirmed an appreciation of the importance of preventing a relapse into violence and for the conduct of peaceful elections in South Sudan. The African Union Peace and Security Council has requested the Trilateral (that is the IGAD, AU and UNMISS) mechanism to jointly brief them on the constitution making process and the status of election preparation in February 2024.


17. I have similarly engaged with national stakeholders and can confirm that there is broad support for elections, but there is also apprehension and concern about the lack of professional preparations and consultations for such elections.


Protection of civilians


Mr. President,


18. The dire economic situation of the country and the resulting competition over diminishing resources at the subnational level, the influx of returnees from Sudan, climate shocks and a fragile political environment, suggests that elections in South Sudan would take place in an environment of elevated tensions. If these risks are not mitigated, then the threat to civilians remains real. UNMISS remains committed to the protection of civilians and prioritizes it as a key mandated task. The Mission is implementing proactive measures aimed at mitigating the risks of pre-electoral, electoral, and post-electoral violence, with a focus on maintaining a robust presence in potential hotspots through existing and new temporary operating bases, team sites, fortifying rapidly deployable reserves of peacekeepers, extensive patrolling, and building on our political and civil engagement at the community and national levels.


19. The humanitarian situation in the country has reached alarming proportions, where two-thirds of the population is now food insecure. Competing global priorities have negatively impacted international humanitarian assistance. This requires that South Sudanese leaders invest more resources towards humanitarian efforts to alleviate the suffering of their people. As of 12^th^ December, 434,000 people had crossed into South Sudan since the start of the Sudan conflict in mid-April, which means the humanitarian caseload in South Sudan is only growing.


20. South Sudan remains a dangerous place for our humanitarian partners to operate in and where many have made the ultimate sacrifice. I call on the Government of South Sudan to enable safe and unfettered humanitarian access throughout the country and hold to account perpetrators responsible for attacks against humanitarians and the looting of humanitarian aid destined for the most vulnerable.


21. It is now time for the government of South Sudan to take decisive actions to address these challenges and put in place conditions that not only lead to peaceful and credible elections but also deliver genuine peace dividends and stability after a vote.


22. Finally, 2024 is anticipated to be a difficult and challenging year for UNMISS, for South Sudan, its people and the region, UNMISS reiterates that it will discharge its mandate to the best of its ability.


I thank you.


View original: https://reliefweb.int/report/south-sudan/statement-mr-nicholas-haysom-special-representative-secretary-general-and-head-unmiss-united-nations-security-council-briefing-14-december-2023

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Related Reports


SC/15531 - Thursday, 14 December 2023

South Sudan Not Ready for Conducting Credible Elections, Special Representative Tells Security Council, Outlining Important Prerequisites to Be Met

https://press.un.org/en/2023/sc15531.doc.htm


What’s In Blue - Wednesday, 13 December 2023

South Sudan: Briefing and Consultations

https://www.securitycouncilreport.org/whatsinblue/2023/12/south-sudan-briefing-and-consultations-23.php


SG/SM/22083 - Wednesday, 13 December 2023

Secretary-General Reiterates United Nations Commitment towards Supporting Mediation Efforts of Its African Partners to Restore Peace in Sudan

https://press.un.org/en/2023/sgsm22083.doc.htm


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Thursday, November 02, 2023

South Sudan: In 2023 UNMISS faced kidnaps in Malakal Upper Nile, 42 dead in attacks on aid workers

Report at China View - Xinhua
Editor: Huaxia
Dated Friday, 3 November; 01:49:30 - here is a copy in full:

UN ramps up security patrols after kidnapping of aid worker in South Sudan


JUBA, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said Wednesday it has stepped up security patrols around the Protection of Civilians (PoC) site in Malakal town of Upper Nile state, north of South Sudan.


This follows the kidnapping of Emmanuel Obayi, a nutrition officer working with the International Medical Corps in Malakal PoC on Oct. 27.


"UNMISS soldiers and police increased perimeter security patrols around the PoC site. We also reached out to various stakeholders, including the state government, humanitarian partners, and local armed groups, to gather information and verify the whereabouts of the individual in question," Ben Malor, the chief public information officer of UNMISS, told Xinhua in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.


He revealed that the kidnapping incident was reported to the Mission leadership on Oct. 27 through its Malakal field office, stressing that UNMISS is ready to retrieve the kidnapped humanitarian worker.


"In 2023, there were two similar incidents. In October, a UNMISS national staff member was reported missing in western Bahr El Ghazal State; officials took urgent steps to find him, and he was released soon after," he said. In June, a UN police officer was similarly reported missing in the Malakal PoC and was later found.


"It's important to note that UNMISS has faced numerous attacks on humanitarian workers, resulting in the tragic loss of approximately 42 lives in 2023," Malor said.


View original: http://www.chinaview.cn/africa/20231103/41652fd5a5dc436a823f942d36508675/c.html


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