South Sudan’s UN mission to withdraw peacekeepers from more camps despite IDPs’ objection – Shearer

JUBA – The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General (SRSG) and head of the UN mission in South Sudan David Shearer has said that the world mission will likely withdraw troops from other IDP camps in the country despite objection by internally displaced persons.

Last week, Shearer said UN peacekeepers were being relocated from two camps in Bor and Wau for major hotspots where inter-communal violence continue to take lives especially in Lakes and Warrap states as well as part of Equatoria region.

Following the announcement, IDPs took to the streets of protection of civilian sites (POC) in the capital Juba to demand UN peacekeepers’ presence saying security threats to the internally displaced persons continue to persist.

However, in an opinion piece he published on Sudans Post this afternoon, Shearer downplayed the continued security threats saying since the signing of the revitalized peace agreement and the subsequent formation of the revitalized unity government, security situation, not only in the camps, but across the country, has improved and the threats that existed before the government formation were not longer there.

“In 2013, thousands of people from different ethnic groups fled to United Nations bases in fear for their lives when violence erupted across South Sudan. Others followed during further violence in 2016. The UN opened its gates to give them sanctuary in what are now known as Protection of Civilian (POC) sites. Many lives were saved as a result,” Shearer wrote.

“Seven years later, the situation has changed significantly. There is a peace agreement and ceasefire. Political violence has reduced significantly, although, sadly, there is still inter-communal violence in some places. A new Government has been formed and includes the opposition leader Dr. Riek Machar as the country’s First Vice President. POC site residents now move freely between the camps and towns to go to school and work, and to shop in the market. While they initially sought protection, most POC residents tell us today that they stay to access food, education, and health care,” the senior UN official added.

Shearer said the world mission has recently found in a security assessment that there the threats that existed when the UN mission opened its gates for civilians seeking protection do not longer exist saying the world mission would likely withdraw troops from other camps in the weeks ahead.

“In light of this, the UN began careful planning almost a year ago, after formally reporting to the UN Security Council, to transition POC sites under UN protection to conventional camps for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). Security assessments found that the external threat to POCs that existed seven years ago no longer exists today,” he said.

“As a result, UNMISS began withdrawing its troops and police from the Bor and Wau POC sites, and this process will likely continue at other camps in the weeks ahead,” he further said adding that “freeing up troops that were occupied at the POCs means they can be deployed to hotspots where people’s lives are in immediate danger.”

Shearer revealed that the world mission’s transition of the POC sites would involve the gradual withdrawal from the sides and will be handed over to the government rather than the UN mission in the country.

“The POC transition process involves two steps. First is the gradual withdrawal of our forces from the sites. Second is re-designating the sites so they come under the sovereign control of South Sudan, not the UN. Nobody will be pushed out or asked to leave when this transition occurs. Humanitarian services will continue. The sites will just be normal IDP camps like dozens of others across the country,” he said.

“The South Sudan National Police Service will be responsible for law and order, like everywhere else in the country. UN police officers work closely with the SSNPS to help build their capacity, often sharing premises. Criminal activity in the POCs will be reported to local police for investigation. The government will be primarily responsible to help residents in the new IDP camps gradually return to their homes, find them land to settle, or return houses that illegal squatters are occupying,” he further said.