South Sudan's Presidential Press Secretary Ateny Wek says that the national government is not responsible for the decision to expel UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) Unity State Coordinator Mary Cummins.

In an interview with Radio Tamazuj he said, “Until this time we did not receive any official notification from Unity State. They made the decision exclusively as Unity State on its own. So until the notification the central government cannot discuss the issue of this UN staff.”

Asked whether the expulsion was related to the recent human rights reports released by UNMISS, Ateny Wek responded, “Not only South Sudan can expel a UN staff if the employee is outside the competences of his job, in any country in the world he can be expelled.”

The presidency official reiterated that the state council of ministers took the decision to expel Mary Cummins, not the national government.

But Ateny complained that UNMISS and human rights organizations had released human rights reports without consultations with the government. “When the government asked them for some time to be able to form an investigation committee they just anyway put out that report and everybody sees South Sudan as a country that violates human rights.”

He mentioned that South Sudan investigates its own human rights violations, claiming some soldiers were still under arrest for the December 2013 events and they would be taken to a military court.

But Ateny was reluctant to answer questions about forced recruitment of children, the alleged incitement of youths to attack a UN base in Bor, and the failure of 'investigation committees' to release any public reports or prosecute anybody.

“I don't want to talk about the investigation. It is not ready. When it is ready I will be able to talk about it, but not at this time,” said the president's spokesman.