Conflict with UN peacekeepers in South Sudan release chain reaction
This story was originally written for the Risk Reporting course at the Danish School of Media and Journalism
In this Monday, Dec. 30, 2013 file photo, a United Nations armoured vehicle passes displaced people walking towards the U.N. camp in Malakal, South Sudan. (Photo: Ben Curtis, File/Associated Press)
The firing of a UN general, the protest of a neighbouring country and uncertain foreign aid all took place in regards to issues in South Sudan this past week.
The chain of events unfolded following findings from a report released Tuesday, Nov. 1 that criticised the actions, or lack thereof, of UN peacekeepers in South Sudan. An independent investigation looked into the violence that took place in July 2016, when a UN compound was attacked in Juba. The attack resulted in robberies, rapes and deaths.
“A lack of leadership on the part of key senior mission personnel culminated in a chaotic and ineffective response to the violence,” read the report published by UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
The day of the release, UN Lt. Gen. Johnson Mogoa Kimani Ondieki was dismissed from his duties of commanding the peacekeeping forces in South Sudan. Ondieki is Kenyan and this led to a reaction by the Kenyan government.
Kenya has decided to pull its 1,000 officers out of South Sudan and put an end to any further deployment of troops as a protest to the firing. The country’s decision to end its role in the peace process followed an official release that said the firing of Ondeiki showed a high level of disrespect for Kenya and lacked transparency.
David Keeling, PhD., professor of political geography at Western Kentucky University said he understands the reaction.
“The UN likely has acted prematurely without thoroughly understanding what is happening in the region,” Keeling said in an interview with me. “The key challenge is the failure of the UN Peacekeeping structure, which relies on a multilateral force, but this is fraught with rivalries and command challenges.
According to the New York Times, discussion took place regarding foreign aid agencies pulling out of the country due to fear of other attacks and non-reliable UN forces.
Despite the negative results of the report, Keeling said he thinks UN troops and foreign aid are still necessary in South Sudan.
“NGOs and UN Peacekeepers are crucial to provide security and humanitarian aid to innocents caught in the crossfire,” Keeling said. “Without an intervening force, we might see the kind of ethnic genocide that ripped apart Rwanda in the 1990s.”
A long history of violence
The history of the violence in this region can be traced back to the 19th century when European-political boundaries were drawn in Africa that produced tension between preexisting ethnic groups.
The attacks in Juba several months ago stem from an on-going civil war, which began in 2013 in the world’s youngest country. The war is currently being fought between two military groups that represent the Dinka and Nuer ethnic groups.
“Both camps of very corrupt and both are implicated in crimes against the local population,” said Keeling.
UN officials have confirmed President Salva Kiir Mayardit, from the Dinka, and high-ranking members of his government led the attack. Troops from China, Ethiopia, Nepal and India were stationed in South Sudan at the time of the July attacks in which at least 70 people were killed.
Danish UN officer, Major Jacob Palmer Bjerbog, was previously stationed in South Sudan as a Military Liaison Officer and has seen the violence and corruption in the country firsthand. Although he was not in the country during the attack referenced in the report, he said from what he knows, it is no wonder the UN peacekeeping efforts there have failed.
“The mission is doomed to fail, if you measure its ability to protect civilians,” Bjerborg said via email. “You need well-trained units with the right material, equipment, fire support, air support, logistic support and communication capabilities to handle that kind of task in that situation.”
The UN will continue to offer peacekeeping assistance in South Sudan, but the violence and fighting persists as well.
