The Head of UNMISS, Hilde Johnson, Should Resign and Leave South Sudan Immediately
9 min readCC:
• United Nation Security Council and Member States to the UN
• Government of the Republic of South Sudan
• African Union (AU)
• IGAD and friendly countries to South Sudan
• Australian Government
• UN Office in Canberra, Australia
We are calling for the Head of United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) (Ms Hilde Johnson) to resign and leave the country
While we appreciated the positive role played by the UNMISS during Sudan’s interim period to the independence of South Sudan, and the recent protection of South Sudanese whom they are still hosting within their bases since the crisis erupted in Juba in mid December 2013. Though these compounds remained extremely inhumane (e.g. Health-wise) and insecurity as a result of killing of the innocent civilians within UMISS compounds in Akobo, Malakal, etc., we acknowledge and applaud them for saving lives.
However, we strongly condemned the implication of UNMISS in the current crisis in South Sudan, specifically the illegal transportation of weapons and ammunitions, which were captured in Rumbek (Lake State) while labelled as non-food items e’route to the rebel-held areas in Unity State. We are therefore, calling for Ms Hilde Johnson, (Head of UNMISS) and her top staff to resign and leave the country as South Sudanese at home and Diaspora has lost faith and confidence in her/their leadership.
Engaging in illegal transportation of weapons is a clear security breach and violation of an agreement and sovereignty of the Republic of South Sudan. Ms Johnson should have willingly resigned her post or else the UN Secretary General (Banki-Moon) who appointed her must intervene swiftly and dismiss her, so that the lost confidence and trust on the world body may be restored once and for all. The Republic of South Sudan is a member state of the UN and must be respected and treated like any other sovereign nation with no exception within the world body.
It is worthy to give a brief context on how UNMISS came to it existent in South Sudan in the first place. UNMISS forces came to South Sudan as a result of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed between the Government of the Republic of Sudan and the Sudan People Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) in 2005 in Nairobi, Kenya. Their original name was ‘UNMIS’ under UN Charter (Chapter Six) as a result of the Security Council Resolution number 1590 in 2005. Their mandate was to ensure that the CPA was honored by the government of Sudan and SPLM/A as well as protect innocent lives if need be. Their Headquarters was set up in Khartoum with operational bases in some part of Southern Sudan.
However, after South Sudan became an independent state in July 2011, the name UNMIS was changed to UNMISS (to reflect South Sudan), and given Chapter Seven mandates of the UN Charter, Security Council Resolution number 1996 in July 2011. This agreement was signed by the government of the Republic of South Sudan and UNMISS in August 2011. Their mandate was clearly spelt out: UNMISS and its members shall refrain from any action or activity incompatible with the impartial and international nature of their duties or inconsistent with the spirit of the present arrangements. Meaning, UNMISS and its members shall respect all local laws and regulations of South Sudan.
The above agreement has been seriously violated by the UNMISS as a result of the ceased weapons and other violations. As the saying goes “there is no smoke without a fire.” Indeed, the capturing of these weapons which were being transported to the rebel-held areas illegally, in addition to many complaints raised against the world body in the past are not merely out of ordinary. Below are some of the concerns and observations:
• It has been alleged that Ms Johnson is a close friend to the rebel leader (Riek Machar), which might have compelled her to dismiss the allegations of a coup d’état altogether. She has never shown any neutrality since the present crisis erupted in December 2013. Her activities seemed to suggest otherwise that she had been favouring the rebels who are destroying lives, infrastructures and properties across Greater Upper Nile region. Many South Sudanese also believed that she has been working so hard, particularly after the current crisis to swing the views of the International Community against the government of South Sudan in favour of the rebels who are committing heinous crimes against humanity.
• It has been reported by eyewitnesses that UNMISS has been facilitating transportation of the rebel leaders (e.g. Riek Machar).
• UNMISS attempted to smuggle (into the rebel-held areas) assortment of weapons, ammunitions and even banned landmines by the world body while labelled as “food items and building materials” to avoid being detected by the South Sudanese security forces. This is the most serious violation of all. According to the agreement, which UNMISS acknowledged, they supposed to transport their weapons by air, not by land after the current rebellion.
• It has been reported that UNMISS gave the rebel (e.g. in Bor) their vehicles, armours/tanks, weapons (including anti-aircraft, ammunitions and other military assortments), which they use against the civil population – is that legal for the world body to do so? This act is indeed contradictory to the resolution of the Security Council number 1996 (2011), Paragraph 15, which: call on UNMISS to coordinate with the Government of the Republic of South Sudan and participate in the regional coordination and information mechanisms to improve the protection of civilians and support disarmament of the Rebel groups.
• Ms Johnson failed to adhere to her mandates, which was to provide support and collaborate with the government of South Sudan – contrary; she has been very busy interfering with the host government activities as well as operating like a parallel or an independent government within country. Ms Johnson behaviours are exceedingly condescending to the people of South Sudan.
• UNMISS staff/soldiers barred or prevented government officials from visiting South Sudanese who are displaced by the rebel indiscriminate killing for example, in Bor (UNMISS compound). For instance, South Sudan Minister of Information, Hon. Michael Makuei Lueth was embarrassingly denied access to the UNMISS compound.
• There are allegations that UNMISS is hosting some rebel within their compound with weapons, which is a security threat to the displaced populace inside their compounds and the surrounding areas.
• Ms Johnson has been in South Sudan for too long, which probably had led her to become complacent and forget about her mandate and instead become deeply involved in the internal politics of the country. We believed that it is not a very smart idea to keep the Head of Mission for so such an extended period of time as she started to develop personal interest, forget about her mandate and get dragged into domestic politics as well as get deluded by some leaders within the system of the country.
• Ms Johnson has displayed a scornful behaviour as she failed to distinguish that there were no two parallel executive structures in South Sudan since her mandate is totally different from that of the Government of South Sudan. As the roles of the UNMISS were to provide support in collaboration with the government, protect live, but not to provide weapons to the rebel groups and fuel the internal conflict. UNMISS has violated its mandate that stated in paragraphs 3 (b) (iv), (v), and (vi) of resolution 1996, which was adopted by the Security Council at its 6576th meeting on 8th July 2011.
Some of the questions many South Sudan are asking include: what is the UNMISS protecting in South Sudan if they are facilitating transportation of weapons illegally to the most irresponsible and tribal rebels who are indiscriminately killing civilian in the areas? Rebels who are looting, burning and destroying all the miniature infrastructures the country has, including residential homes, markets, banks, etc. What is the UNMISS intending to achieve out supplying the rebel with such weapons; some are even banned by the world body, which Ms Johnson represented in South Sudan? Was the UNMISS attempting to topple an elected government, so that they may impose a puppet government against the wills of South Sudanese? Could the UNMISS explain to the people of South Sudan if the rebels (they are supporting) are going to bring peace and harmony to the innocent civilian that are being killed? The world body should have waited for 2015 general election so that they may support their favoured leader, instead of supporting the current killing and bloodbath in the country because of the leadership.
Most importantly, we would also like to point out that Norway where Ms Hilde Johnson originated from is not synonymous with her as she is an appointee of the United Nations Secretary General. We must acknowledge that Norway is one of the leading and best friends of South Sudan as they supported South Sudanese throughout their struggle, independence and until today. The differences South Sudanese has with Ms Johnson are not about Norway as a country but in regard to her scandalous behaviours and activities in South Sudan. We strongly believe that the people of Norway and it government would like to see South Sudan become a peaceful and prosperous state as they have invested so much energy and resources that led to its independence. Ms Johnson has messed up terribly bad due to this weapon’s scandal and other internal conflict issues that she has been accused of meddling in.
We want to make it clear that the people of South Sudan will not judge Norway as a country because of her role in trying to destabilise South Sudan. Norway will always remain the best friend to the people of South Sudanese. The same applied to the UN Member States as we believed that removing Ms Johnson and replacing her with another (a neutral representative) will restore such a tainted and damaged working relationship between UNMISS and the government of South Sudan. Her dismissal is not an attack on the UN member states. We believed that these weapons’ scandal has tarnished the world body; and therefore, we are urging the UN Member States, not only condemn UNMISS illegal transportation of the weapons, but also help the investigating to why UNMISS was transporting these weapons by road to the rebel-held areas.
Ms Johnson is not wanted in South Sudan as it was shown on how South Sudanese are demonstrating so furiously across South Sudan and Diaspora against her continued presence in the country after the weapon scandal. Her immediate departure together with her top staff and the appointment of a new head of UNMISS may eventually help refurbish this sour relationship between UNMISS and the government of South Sudan and its citizens. If Ms Johnson is not removed any sooner by the UN Secretary General, then her stay will be seen by many South Sudanese who are longing for peace in their homeland as an imposition by the world body against their wills.
Without any doubt, the mistrust between the Head of UNMISS (Ms Johnson) has reached its peak, but the world body can still rescue this situation by appointing a new head of Mission without delay to implement its mandate – sooner is the better, because the current crisis in South Sudan is catastrophic and require a neutral head of UNMISS to promote peace in the country. We do not want to see the coming generation growing up and suffering in the war again, and therefore strongly urge friends of South Sudan to help in bringing the current conflict to a speedy end.
Above are pictures of some of the weapons ceased in Rumbek by South Sudanese authorities while being transported by 12 trucks, and labelled UN (as non-food items), their destination was Unity State (the rebel-held areas) as well aspictures of the demonstrators in Juba-South Sudan.
South Sudanese Community in Melbourne will hold a demonstration to show their disapproval of the UNMISS representative (Ms Johnson) in fuelling the present internal conflict in South Sudan.
For further information and correspondent, please do not hesitate to contact us through our Secretary for information Mr. Jacob Maduok Dau using either of the following contacts: jmaduok@yahoo.com.au, awanbol@yahoo.com.au, dinka13@hotmail.com.
Long Live the Republic South Sudan,
Long live the unity of South Sudanese,
May God bless the Republic of South Sudan
Mr. Wik Dut Kir Deng, Chairperson of Dinka Community Union of Victoria – Dinka Community in Australia
Mr Awan Akuen Bol the Chairperson of Jieng (Dinka) Community in South Australia
Mr Andrew Makouei Mayuom the chairperson of Dinka Community in West Australia
Mr Manyang Mageer the Chairperson of Dinka Community in Queensland
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