From S Sudan, US Orders Departure of Non-Essential Personnel, ICP Asked of Malong

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, July 10 -- In the UN's continued withholding of news and answers about South Sudan, the reports of the UN's own knowledge of abuses are now being withheld from its own impacted national staff.

Leaked to Inner City Press: two fatalities in UN "Protection of Civilians" camp 3, seven Chinese peacekeeper injured, three to four critically. And the role of Paul Malong, see below.

After more than three hours of meeting, the UN Security Council members emerged. US Samantha Power spoke briefly, about getting more troops from regional countries. Soon afer, the State Department issue this:

South Sudan:  United States Demands an Immediate End to Fighting in South Sudan 

In response to ongoing violence in South Sudan, the Department of State ordered today the departure of non-emergency personnel from the U.S. Embassy in Juba.  U.S. citizens in South Sudan are advised to take precautions to enhance their personal security and should check U.S. Embassy Juba’s website for the latest consular information, including security messages and the latest Travel Warning.  The Embassy’s ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in Juba is extremely limited.

The United States strongly condemns the latest outbreak of fighting in Juba today between forces aligned with President Salva Kiir Mayardit and those aligned with First Vice President Riek Machar Teny, including reports we have that civilian sites may have been attacked.  We again call on both leaders and their political allies and commanders to immediately restrain their forces from further fighting, return them to barracks, and prevent additional violence and bloodshed.  The United States is determined to ensure appropriate measures are taken to hold accountable those responsible for continuing fighting and violations of international humanitarian law, including attacks on the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and targeting of civilians.

We are in active communication with African Union and regional leaders at the most senior levels; all are working jointly to press the South Sudanese leaders and their commanders to end the fighting.  We have asked for an emergency session of the UN Security Council to address the situation.

Inner City Press  asked the Council's president for July, Koro Bessho of Japan, if an arms embargo had been discussed - no - and which countries are being looked to. He said he would not name names. Video here.

Could it be, as the UN's Herve Ladsous seeks to continue using in Central African Republic, from Burundi? We'll have more on this.  The Council's Press Statement, InnerCityPro.com has put online here.

Belatedly reaching the US Security Council stakeout on July 10, Inner City Press asked French Ambassador Francois Delattre about the injured peacekeepers - nothing -- then asked US Ambassador Samantha Power about the role of Paul Malong, should he be sanctioned? Again, nothing. After 6 pm, Inner City Press asked Angola's Ambassador about the use of attack helicopters; he said heavy weapons shouldn't be used.

The head of UN Peacekeeping Herve Ladsous, who should know or quit, said he couldn't give any casualty figures. Inner City Press asked about the seven Chinese peackeepers seriously injured it reported hours earlier; Ladsous said two more, beyond the Chinese. Inner City Press asked if his DPKO has dealt with Paul Malong. No answer. Video here.

Some say the US has been too quiet, even as aircraft are prepared in Djibouti for an evacuation. From US sources, citing a "hero from Benghazi," comes word of US personnel "trapped" in Juba, amid ambushes and NSA Susan Rice set to meet with South Sudanese diaspora / in exile.

US officials Donald Booth and Susan Page have been informed of SPLA-IO reinforcements on their way and the role of Paul Malong, with Ugandan backing. Meanwhile officials of the UN, which has helped in the cover up, blithely tweet "shame on their leaders" -- are they aware of Malong? 

Inner City Press was delayed in getting to the Security Council stakeout by the eviction and accreditation downgrade by Team Ban Ki-moon as retaliation for reporting.

Here is a letter from NGOs to the Security Council, put onling by Inner City Press here.

 Here was the initial memo Inner City Press exclusively published:

“JUBA Nearly 150 soldiers are reported dead from Friday's clash between South Sudan's rival forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and those loyal to  the First Vice President Riek Machar.
 
The heavy fighting occurred on Friday near J1, the Presidential Palace, between troops of the South Sudanese army (SPLA) and protection unit of the First Vice President, Machar, of the SPLA in Opposition.
 
35 of the SPLA-IO soldiers lying dead and over 80 died from the SPLA’s side.
 
All the bodyguards of the First Vice President who were deployed on the street outside J1 were killed, said a senior SPLA officer.
 
A huge force came from nowhere and joined up with President Kiir’s tiger force and opened fire on Machar’s bodyguards deployed outside the Palace for protection."

On July 8 amid the surge in violence in South Sudan, the UN Ambassador of Lithuania, until recently on the UN Security Council, tweeted on Friday that the Council would meet that afternoon about the crisis.

But when ICP asked the month's President of the Council, Koro Bessho of Japan, he said there would be no Security Council meeting that afternoon. The Lithuania ambassador deleted the tweet; the UNTV crew took down their camera. This as, for example, World Vision went on lock-down in Juba. Ban Ki-moon, in China, issued a canned statement - this as his spokesman refuses Press questions about South Sudan, calling them "too granular."

On July 7, Inner City Press asked Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Stephane Dujarric about it, video here, UN Transcript here and below. Dujarric refused an answer, calling it "too granular." Then Inner City Press exclusively published this, from within UNMISS:

“Please be informed  that  on 07 July at about 20:25 hours,  Mr. Salah Khaled ( UNESCO Country Director) was shot by SPLA soldiers. Several shots were fired at his vehicle at the junction of Panorama Hotel along the Airport road. Incident occurred as he was driving home from an official UN function held at the UNDP compound. Mr. Khaled sustained three gunshot wounds; one to the leg and two shots to the left hand (lower & upper arm). The vehicle windscreen was shattered. He was taken to UNMISS level II clinic where he is presently receiving treatment. His condition is stable.
 
The circumstances surrounding his being shot at remain unclear.”
 
UN staff, only on condition of anonymity due to Ban Ki-moon's and Herve Ladsous' proclivity for retaliation, speak of large increase of roadblocks and checks resulting in a normal 20 minute journey taking three hours within the city.  The UN is becoming complicit.

From the UN's July 7 transcript

This UN Department of Safety and Security situation report covers up what other sources say was the targeted assassination of an SPLA-IO soldier:
 
3.         Crime – Shooting:  On 05 July at about 10:30 hours in Juba, UN military personnel on patrol reported a shooting incident near the NISS HQ on Jebel Road.  The report indicated that an SPLA soldier who appeared to have been shot was taken away from the scene by other Host Government security personnel. The body of a deceased SPLA –IO was reportedly later discovered in the same general area. It could however not be ascertained if this was the same person earlier taken away by HG security personnel neither could it be confirmed if the cause of death was  as a result of gunshots.

On June 21, UN DSS issued and Inner City Press has obtained and exclusively publishes the below advisory about South Sudan - well, Juba - which contrasts to DSS officials' behavior, for example in New York where on February 19 they pushed Inner City Press into the street (apparently ordered to do so by DPI's Cristina Gallach), on March 10 ordered it out of the UN contrary to published rules, and since then have harassed the Press even when it has a minder.

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