Here is Why The Azande Community Calls For Investigation of UNMISS Mandate in WES
NCMP
March 17, 2023
On March 9, 2023, the Azande Community in South Sudan made a call to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) to investigate the mandate of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) in Western Equatoria State (WES). The community accuses the Mission of bias in addressing the conflict in Tombura County, segregation, and sexual abuse.
The community protested in closed-door meetings in Juba and Yambio, as well as in the diaspora, expressing their dissatisfaction with how the Mission singled out their tribe and mistreated them. The community alleges that the Mission has not fulfilled its mandate of maintaining peace and protecting civilians in the region.
The protest is based on the recent report of the UN Human Rights Office that accused General Naando of War Crimes, followed by the UK sanction on March 8. The community alleges that General Naando did not go to Tombura in September to fight the Balanda Community, but rather, he was called by the Joint Defense Board to transfer his soldiers and move them to Maridi.
According to a member of the Azande Community, when General Naando arrived in Tombura, two commanders from the IOs allied with the Balanda Community instructed their soldiers to attack his base at Renzi Primary School in Tombura Town. Eyewitnesses also reported that the base was assaulted seven times, and if General Naando fought back, it was in self-defense.
“I was there (in Tombura) during the conflict, General Naando did not attack the bases of the Balanda IO militia. Instead, they were the ones that attacked him several times in Renzi Primary School,” a community member stated.
The community further accuses UNMISS of segregating their community in September 2021, when the Mission went to Source Yubu to distribute food items. UNMISS allegedly segregated the Azande Community and refused to give them food rations.
Based on the above allegations, the Azande Community is calling on the SRSG to investigate UNMISS Head of Mission and UNMISS Mandate in WES. They demand the immediate relief of the Head of Mission in Yambio so that UNMISS and the UN’s credibility and its core values of integrity, respect for diversity, and professionalism can be upheld.
The allegations by the Azande Community are significant and should be taken seriously by the international community. It is essential for the UN to investigate and address these allegations promptly to maintain the credibility and effectiveness of its mission in South Sudan. The international community should stand with the Azande Community in its quest for justice and accountability.
