11 March 2014 - A high-level delegation from UN headquarters in New York will arrive in Juba tomorrow to investigate weapons being transported on UN trucks that were seized by South Sudanese security officials in Rumbek, Lakes State.

In cooperation with the government, the delegation would thoroughly investigate circumstances surrounding the cargo being mistakenly transported by road, UNMISS Spokesperson Ariane Quentier said.

“This is a very regrettable mistake, but also this should not happen in view of the agreements that we have made with the government regarding the transportation of hazardous goods,” she said.

The containers on the trucks inadvertently containing weapons and ammunition had been wrongly labeled as general goods belonging to the Ghanaian battalion, according to an UNMISS statement.

“The Ghanaian troops are part of the surge of UNMISS troops to assist South Sudan and the goods were en route to Bentiu, passing through Rumbek,” the statement said.

UNMISS Force Commander Major General Delali Johnson Sakyi, who is Ghanaian, confirmed in a statement that the weapons and ammunition belonged to his newly arrived compatriot troops to be deployed to Bentiu.

Gen. Sakyi said he had visited Rumbek on 10 March on a joint mission with the government to look into what he called the “unfortunate incident” of the weapons being mistakenly transported by road.

“Let me be clear, the weapons and ammunition found in Rumbek were never intended to serve any other purpose than that of peace and protection of South Sudanese civilians,” the Force Commander said.

According to the UNMISS statement, mission policy during the South Sudan crisis is to fly all arms and ammunition for peacekeeping contingents to their deployment areas, rather than take them by road. “This is an important security measure.”