UN mission dismisses SSOMA claim of security withdrawal from Malakal POC

JUBA – The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has dismissed a claim by holdout South Sudan Opposition Movement Alliance (SSOMA) that it has withdrawn its security presence at Malakal POC where thousands of civilians are being protected from imminent harm.

In a statement on Monday, the SSOMA claimed that the United Nations Mission in South Sudan has taken a decision to withdraw its peacekeeping soldiers from Malakal as well as other centers where civilians have been protected by the UN since December 2013.

“The South Sudan Opposition Movements Alliance (SSOMA) is shocked and dismayed by the decision by the UNMISS to withdraw its security personnel from providing security to the internally displaced persons who have been taking refuge in Malakal PoCs site for years,” the SSOMA statement reads in part.

“It is to be recalled that during the infernal civil war that started in 2013, hundreds of innocent civilians lost their lives in Malakal Town and other parts of South Sudan. The survivors of the carnage escaped to the PoCs for safety,” the statement added.

But in a statement this afternoon, the UNMISS said it has not withdrawn its security presence in Malakal, but only had organized a discussion “as part of ongoing consultation about the future of the Protection of Civilians site with stakeholders, including the Governor and other local authorities, UNMISS, humanitarian partners, and representatives from the displaced community.”

“A press statement claiming that the United Nations Mission in South Sudan is “withdrawing” its security presence from the Protection of Civilians site in Malakal is incorrect and risks causing unnecessary concern among the displaced community,” the UNMISS statement seen by Sudans Post reads in part.

According to the statement, the world mission “reiterated its very clear position, in line with Security Council Resolution 2567, that the right security conditions must exist in Malakal before any transition of the POC can take place and reinforced its commitment to work with the Government to build its capability to provide protection for vulnerable communities.”

It added that “UNMSS will also continue to fulfill its mandate to protect civilians in Malakal as in other locations across the country.”

It concluded that “No announcement was made about a decision to ‘withdraw’ from the Malakal POC and it is unfortunate that this erroneous claim has been reported by media as fact.”