Britain says withdrawal of UN troops from POCs should be conducted in a ‘transparent’ manner

NEW YORK – The United Kingdom has said that planned gradual withdrawal of United Nations peacekeepers from South Sudan civilians protection sites should be conducted in close consultations with those internally displaced and in a transparent manner that should also involve humanitarian actors.

Last week, the UN mission in the country announced that the world mission will start gradual withdrawal of troops from a number of camps where internally displaced persons are currently being protected.

That plan has already started as UN peacekeepers have been withdrawn from Bor and Wau for redeployment in areas hit by deadly inter-communal conflicts such as Jonglei and some parts of the Greater Bahr el Ghazal region.

David Shearer, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of UNMISS said in an opinion article published on Sudans Post last week that most of the IDPs were telling the mission that they stay in the camps to access services such as food, health and education, without underscoring the need for protection.

This is in spite of objection by the IDPs who took to the streets in Juba POC sites last week to demand UN reconsider its decision to “leave us behind.”

Addressing the UN Security Council (UNSC) on Wednesday, the acting British Permanent Representative to the UN, James Roscoe, said the process of redeployment of forces outside the IDP camps should be conducted in a consultative manner with those affected, the IDPs, with the involvement of humanitarian agencies operating in the country.

“…..on  the protection of civilians, it was incredibly worrying to hear about the spike in violence, particularly the presence of actors from outside South Sudan exacerbating the problem,” Roscoe said.

“The mission’s plan to re-designate PoC Sites should be implemented through close consultation with the affected communities and with humanitarian actors in a transparent process that prioritizes safety and security,” he added.

He further pointed to South Sudan government’s responsibility in protecting its citizens including those internally displaced by the conflict and who are still seeking protection from the world mission.

“Ultimately, the primary responsibility for protecting South Sudan’s citizens rests with the government of South Sudan, including the respect to those currently living in the UN’s Protection of Civilian Sites,” he said.