UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon says that the United Nations was consulting with South Sudan’s national government to reverse the decision made by the Unity State government to expel UNMISS state coordinator Mary Cummins.
On Sunday the Associated Press reported that the Unity State cabinet voted to expel Cummins, according to Deputy Governor Mabek Lang. The move was described as “retaliatory” following the publication of a human rights report by UNMISS.
Ban Ki Moon was asked about this after a meeting he held in Addis Ababa on Monday. “I read the report this morning and we are in consultations with the central government. This announcement was made by local authorities. At this time, we don’t know what is going to happen to our UN staff. But we have been very much disappointed when South Sudan’s Government decided to ask Toby Lanzer [to leave], who had been working very hard on the humanitarian situation in South Sudan,” he said.
“I sincerely hope and urge South Sudan authorities to fully cooperate with the United Nations in South Sudan and provide support so that our humanitarian workers can deliver and have unfettered access to the people.”
He added, “As you are aware, the United Nations Mission is now accommodating more than 150,000 IDPs, internally displaced persons. The United Nations has never been designed or planned to accommodate so many IDPs so we are in very much a difficult position. We are doing our best to provide life-saving support to them so we expect they [South Sudan authorities] should fully cooperate and provide support.”
Ban met in Addis Ababa with Hailemariam Desalegn, Prime Minister of Ethiopia and Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Chairperson of the African Union Commission.