The United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), in a press release on Tuesday, said allegations that its forces attacked Rayen village in Twic County of Warrap State are false and should be treated as fake news.
“UNISFA observes with great concern the fake news credited to Twic Media Reports, a South Sudanese online media NGO alleging that UNISFA forces attacked the Rayen village on 16 May 2022,” the statement read in part. “The said fake news quotes residents of Rayen community as insinuating that UNISFA forces launched attacks on them using heavy machine guns and burned down houses leading to displacement of civilians.”
“In as much as UNISFA, as a mission, would not like to join issues with any individual or groups to maintain focus on its mandated task of keeping Abyei Area free of arms, the mission considers it necessary to debunk such fake news because of its potential to mislead the local population and add another layer of insecurity to that being experienced in the area,” it added.
The statement said UNISFA as a mission operates strictly under the three basic principles that continue to set UN peacekeeping operations apart as a tool for maintaining international peace and security and meticulously upholds its core values of integrity, professionalism, impartiality, and respect for diversity and gender equality, and is in Abyei with a specific mandate to protect people and keep the area free of arms.
“UNISFA thus uses this opportunity to call on the public to ignore fake news meant to misinform the society with the intent to escalate tension and cause disaffection,” the statement read. “UNISFA urges all stakeholders to cooperate with the Mission by reporting timely to the nearest UNISFA Team sites, Temporary or Company Operating Base on movements of suspicious armed persons or groups of armed persons within the Box.”
UNISFA also urged all persons to embrace the mission’s peace initiative as a means of deescalating tension in the area and reassured that the Mission is fully committed to working closely with the governments of South Sudan and Sudan in pursuing its mandate to ensure that Abyei Box is free of arms and armed groups.