South Sudan seeks more UN muscle in contested Abyei
(AFP) –
JUBA — South Sudan has called on the UN to deploy more troops in areas, including contested Abyei region, threatened by attack from rebel groups.
The government also wants help in resolving what it calls Sudan?s “warmongering attitude” which it blames for blocking UN and African Union efforts to deploy peacekeepers in Abyei, and for sponsoring militias.
It made the appeal to the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
“For us, as the Republic of South Sudan, we will do as much as we can to protect our civilians, to protect our borders. That we will do,” Information. Minister Barnaba Marial Benjamin told journalists on Tuesday.
“But since UNMISS is equally committed to that, then they should deploy to those areas where the civilians are being eliminated by the militia groups. That is what we are asking for and not more,” the minister said.
He said the South Sudan Mission must be “vigorous” in its approach to the Security Council and ask for more troops to bolster around 7,000, which have not yet been fully deployed.
The minister cited South Korea and Japan as examples of countries willing to contribute troops to the world?s newest nation and UN member.
Benjamin also said more than half of the expected 4,200 joint AU-UN Ethiopian peacekeeping force for Abyei (UNISFA) was being “intentionally delayed” by Sudan, whose forces overran the contested region in May and have refused to honour a joint agreement with South Sudan to withdraw.
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