Renowned artist urges UNMISS to remain committed to IDP protection

MELBOURNE – A renowned South Sudanese artist, Kang John Jock who better known as Kang JJ, has urged the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) to remain committed to the protection of those internal displaced by the conflict.

In earlier September, the UN mission in South Sudan announced that it will pull out troops from protection of civilian sites in Juba, Malakal, Bor, Wau and Bentiu. The UN mission has already completed withdrawal in Bor and is withdrawing its peacekeepers in Juba.

In an opinion piece published by Nyamilepedia, the artist said the security situation in the world’s youngest country remains tense, saying there is a state of emergency still in force in the whole Greater Upper Nile region as well as some parts of  Bahr el Ghazal.

He said the security arrangements provided for in the 2018 revitalized peace agreement has not yet been implemented and the necessary unified forces which would provide security in important towns before the reunification of the rival forces has not yet been constituted.

“The state of emergency in most part of the Country has not been lifted. the unified forces have not been graduated and deployed, and this quash the perception that IDPs should be safe because the oppositions are in the city,” Kang wrote.

He further urged the UN mission to fulfill its mandate in protecting those internally displaced by the conflict saying the presence of opposition leaders in Juba should not be perceived as guarantee for the security of the IDPs.

“The UNMISS should fulfill their humanitarian mission in South Sudan by protecting the IDPs until there is a tangible success in the peace process that has become static unless IGAD and AU are allowing another genocide or something worse than the 2016 massacres, they should forbid,” he said.

“The opposition leaders are in Juba without their forces. And this also is not a guarantee that others such as IDPs can be safe. The IDPs don’t fall under the category that the leaders fall under,” he further said.