SRSG appeals to IDPs to respect protection sites

21 Nov 2014

SRSG appeals to IDPs to respect protection sites

20 November 2014 - UNMISS is making every effort to uphold the civilian nature of protection site on its bases across the country, the mission’s chief Ellen Loej said in Juba today.

In an exclusive interview with Radio Miraya, the Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG) said although it is possible that ex-soldiers from both sides of the conflict could be living at the sites, they were all disarmed and their uniforms were removed before they entered.

“I have no doubt that in the Protection of Civilian sites there are many people who support the opposition, or that there are many who are former soldiers, who defected from the army. That’s a fact,” she said. “But we are not accepting anybody in the camp with a military uniform… or with arms. We are doing regular weapons sweeps to make sure that the civilian character of the camp is upheld. If people go out of the camp, to join the fighting and we get to know about it, we will not readmit them.”

She also noted that any arms confiscated from people wishing to enter the Protection of Civilian sites will be destroyed.

Ms. Loej listed the challenges in the protection sites, including difficult living conditions as well as tensions between groups of internally displaced people (IDPs).

She appealed to the IDPs to understand that they sought refuge in the sites and should therefore respect their civilian character and refrain from creating disturbances and conducting political agitation.

The UNMISS Chief reiterated that the protection sites were not meant to be permanent and the mission would continue to work with UN agencies and partners to facilitate the safe and voluntary return of displaced people to their homes or movement to other places where they felt safe.

“The Protection of Civilians sites are not a sustainable solution,” she said, adding that the only reason people were living in the dire conditions was because “they are truly fearful and scared to go home”.

Ms. Loej stressed that the mission’s protection of civilians role was not limited to the 100,000 people seeking refuge on its bases, but extended even to all other vulnerable South Sudanese.

Describing 11 months of conflict as “much too long”, Ms. Loej called on the South Sudanese leaders to commit themselves wholeheartedly to ongoing peace negotiations.

“I do hope that a solution will be found sooner rather than later,” she said. “I do hope that the peace agreement will be reached so that the guns will be silent and we can go back to assisting the government and the leaders of the country to bring peace, prosperity and development to the people.”

On the human rights situation in the country, Ms. Loej said was alarmed by the number of human casualties as well as sexual exploitation and abuse, gender violence, rape and recruitment of children by various militias.