UN mission says it is deploying patrols around Bentiu camp amid rising tensions

JUBA — The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said it is intensifying engagement with political and security actors and has deployed peacekeeping patrols around the Bentiu displacement camp in Unity State following renewed violence in the area.

In a statement to Sudans Post on Tuesday, UNMISS spokesperson Priyanka Chowdhury said the mission was working to prevent further escalation after clashes in and around the camp earlier this week.

“UNMISS continues to intensively engage political and security actors at the national and State levels to help prevent further violence and de-escalate tensions in Unity State,” Chowdhury said.

She added that while the primary responsibility for protecting civilians rests with the South Sudanese government, UNMISS has stepped up its presence around the camp to reassure residents.

“While the Government of South Sudan has primary responsibility for protecting civilians, UNMISS has deployed peacekeeping patrols in and around the displacement camp in Bentiu to reassure residents and support efforts to stabilize the situation,” she said.

The statement follows accusations by opposition figures that the UN mission failed to protect unarmed personnel after clashes at the Bentiu IDP camp, a former United Nations protection of civilians site that was handed over to national authorities in 2020 under the 2018 revitalized peace agreement.

UNMISS rejected claims of partiality, stressing that it operates strictly within its mandate.

“The peacekeeping mission is an impartial partner working with the people of South Sudan in accordance with its mandate,” Chowdhury said.

Addressing an earlier Sudans Post report on the alleged presence of the Unity State governor at a former Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) operations centre inside the IDP camp, UNMISS clarified that MSF no longer operates a medical facility within the UNMISS base in Bentiu, saying the structure had previously been demolished.

The mission requested a correction to the report, which had suggested the location was being used by the Unity State governor as an operational base during clashes between the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) inside the camp.

Unity State has seen a sharp deterioration in security in recent days, with fighting reported at the Bentiu IDP camp, west of Rubkona, and in areas near the Sudanese border. The violence has heightened fears of a wider return to conflict following the collapse of joint security arrangements and the detention of opposition leader Riek Machar.

The government has not publicly commented on the latest UNMISS statement. Analysts say the combination of active frontlines, large displaced populations, and limited civilian escape routes continues to make Unity State one of the most volatile regions in South Sudan.