United Nations peacekeepers in South Sudan are overstretched and desperately need more troops and equipment, says the top UN official in the country. She also expects reinforcements to arrive within days.
Hilde Johnson, head of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), appeared in a webcast press conference on Thursday together with the UN spokesman in New York.
“At this point in time the military is overstretched with the current protection obligations related to the civilians in our camps,” she said, noting also that the mission needed capacity to conduct patrols, not just defend bases.
Johnson reiterated her point a second time: “The scale of this crisis has challenged an already overstretched mission.”
“We are strengthening our compounds to make sure they can carry better and improved security,” she said.
‘Desperate need’
UN officials have earlier said that the South Sudan peacekeeping mission faces a shortage of transport helicopters and planes, as well as troops.
Johnson disclosed the same, saying, “We are in desperate need for improved capacity and strength to implement the mandate. All peacekeepers are under instructions to use force when civilians are under threat.”
An employee of UNMISS speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Wednesday said that the mission’s bases in Warrap State had faced disruption of their normal supply chain and could potentially run out of fuel.
Another UNMISS source in Bor on Tuesday said that the peacekeepers were unable to conduct patrols and feared being attacked and overrun as happened at the Akobo base last week.
UNMISS’ base in Akobo last Thursday was overrun by a party of about 2,000 armed civilians. Two of the 43 peacekeepers at the base were killed.
The mission initially acknowledged that more than 20 civilians sheltering inside were also killed, but later revised downward the number of civilian deaths without explanation.
Reinforcements authorized
UN Security Council members unanimously voted on Tuesday to increase the mandated troop strength of UNMISS by 5,500 troops and 423 police. The reinforcements will be rushed from nearby UN missions such as those in Congo and Darfur.
“We are working around the clock to get assets in that can assist us in the current crisis as quickly as ever possible, and we have had conversations with other missions today,” Johnson said in her video message today.
The first of these reinforcements to arrive, according to Johnson, would be certain ‘critical assets,’ a likely reference to helicopters or aircraft, which are expected within 48 hours.