A top women's activist in Yei is calling on the international community and the East African regional bloc IGAD to speed up the process of deployment of the proposed regional protection force to South Sudan so as to restore confidence in the 2015 peace agreement.

South Sudan's government nominally accepted the force in September. It would operate under the mandate of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

Hawa Adams, an activist in Yei, welcomed the government’s decision allowing the deployment of the 4000-strong regional protection force to South Sudan.

She says once the protection force arrives to the country they should not be centred in the capital city but also be re-deployed to areas that have witnessed conflict and massive displacement including Yei River County.

However, existing plans call for the proposed protection force to operate only in Juba. The UN has also faced delays in getting government approval on the details for deployment, according to a recent letter by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon reported by Reuters.

Adams says deployment of the protection force to Yei would help to build confidence among the civil population more especially women and also those who have fled the country to return home. The activist said citizens in Yei continue to hear gunshots nightly.

“We as women civilians are crying that these people [peacekeepers] should also be brought to Yei not only to Wau or Bentiu to help us here because we still do hear gunshots and we don’t know those people responsible. We hope if they are brought it will bring some changes. Therefore we welcome the UN forces to come to Yei,” she said.

The UN Mission yesterday said that the government has denied it access to Yei in spite of repeated requests to allow it to visit the troubled town.