Amid
Fighting in
Jonglei &
SPLA Inaction,
US Speaks, UN
Barely
Audible
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, July
11 -- Amid
renewed
clashes in
South Sudan's
Jonglei
state between
Lou Nuer and
Murle
fighters,
South Sudan
Army spokesman
Col. Philip
Aguer said the
Army had not
received
orders to
intervene
in the ethnic
clashes that
he said were a
"communal"
issue
to be handled
by the
civilian
authorities.
"If
there are two
communities
fighting how
do you
separate them
with
firearms?"
Aguer asked.
"Since these
are civilians
fighting
civilians we
think it is
the (civilian)
authority that
should come up
with a
decision."
At
the UN in New
York, Inner
City Press
asked US
Acting
Permanent
Representative
Rosemary
DiCarlo, this
month's
Council
president,
about Jonglei.
From the USUN
transcript:
Inner
City Press:
there's
reports of
renewed
fighting in
Jonglei state
today, and the
South Sudan
government
said it is not
sending its
army, that
it's a
civilian
matter
(inaudible) by
civilian
authorities. I
am wondering,
well, does the
U.S. think
that the army
should do
more, and what
is the UN's
role in trying
to stop this
deadly
violence in
Jonglei state?
Ambassador
DiCarlo:
First of all,
we are deeply
concerned
about the
violence-the
intra-communal
violence-that
is going on in
Jonglei state.
We have
called on the
government of
South Sudan to
protect
civilians. We
have
said it is the
responsibility
of the
government to
protect
civilians.
We have been
very clear on
that. The UN,
obviously
UNMISS, has a
mandate to
protect
civilians as
well-Chapter
VII-but it is
the
primary
responsibility
of the
government.
Later
on Thursday
after the
Security
Council
extended the
mandate of UN
Mission in
South Sudan
for another
year, the
country's
Permanent
Representative
Francis Deng
gave a nice
sounding
speech about
freedom
of expression.
But, at least
at first
listen live,
it did not
explain
Aguer's
statement.
Three
hours after
the short
meeting which
included
Deng's speech
was over,
the UN had
still not put
the video of
the session on
its website.
The
Free
UN Coalition
for Access,
through @FUNCA_info,
asked
why, without
UN explanation.
This is the
latest in a
series of
snafus
including
the cutting
of the sound
during South
Sudan envoy
Hilde
Johnson's
speech, a
lack
of translation
on the UN
Webcast,
and bad sound
quality. The UN
recently gave
an outside
contractor
TeamPeople
total
control,
including over
labor rights:
many long time
employees were
let go. This
is the result.
What will the
UN do?
And
bigger
picture, in
South Sudan
what will the
UNMISS
mission,
ultimately run
by Herve
Ladsous, do?
Ladsous
refused Press
questions
both Thursday
morning (about
the Geneva
Conventions)
and Thursday
afternoon
(about being
criticized in
Council
consultations.)
In this
context, how
can UN
Peacekeeping
be effective?
Watch this
site.
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