UNMISS accuses S. Sudan minister of false statements
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan yesterday accused the government spokesman and information minister of providing ‘erroneous information’ at a press conference, after the minister alleged that peacekeepers turned away people seeking UN protection.
“UNMISS wishes to correct erroneous information provided on two issues during a press conference held earlier today by the Minister of Information and Broadcasting of the Republic of South Sudan, Honourable Michael Makuei Lueth,” reads a statement by the UN mission.
The minister at the press conference described the events in Bentiu on 15 and 16 April: “As usual, citizens, all the time, ran to the UNMISS compound for protection, so that they feel safe. Of the citizens who decided to run to the UNMISS compound, a few were allowed to enter.”
“The others were not allowed to enter by UNMISS, but instead were directed to proceed to the mosque and to the churches and to the hospital,” Makuei said.
“After the capture of the town, the rebels started their searches in the churches, in the mosque and identified particular nationalities or tribes. Those unfortunate, innocent, unarmed civilians were slaughtered by the rebel forces in the mosque, in the churches and in the hospital,” added the information minister.
In its press statement, UNMISS underlined that this account of the events was erroneous, affirming that it never turned away any civilians who came to its camp in Bentiu.
Instead, since 15 April it increased the number of civilians under its protection from 8,000 to approximately 22,500 today.
The mission also explained that upon learning of the attacks that were taking place in various places in Bentiu Town such as the main hospital and the Kali-Ballee Mosque, it sent peacekeepers to those locations to evacuate civilians who were trapped there.
UNMISS also expressed concern that statements by the minister could incite violence against displaced people living inside its compounds across the country.
“With regard to the Honourable Minister's statement that soldiers who claimed to have returned to the national army then rebelled again with support from internally displaced persons (IDPs) living inside the UNMISS camp and attacked Bentiu, the Mission wishes to clarify that the thousands of displaced civilians in its Unity State Support Base come from many communities and have various political affiliations,” stated the peacekeeping mission.
“The Mission is concerned that the remarks associating the IDPs with a particular military group could place all of them at risk of being targeted and attacked. Since the beginning of the crisis, the Mission has undertaken to protect all civilians seeking shelter and continues to call for the immediate cessation of hostilities,” it added.
Related coverage:
Makuei: South Sudan peace talks postponed (23 Apr.)
S. Sudan minister says slain Bor civilians were ‘intolerable’, ‘rebels’ (19 Apr.)