UN declines transporting S. Sudanese rebels for consultations

November 27, 2014 (JUBA) - The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) on Thursday declined a request by the intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) demanding it to use its aircraft to transport Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army In Opposition (SPLM/A-IO) delegates from locations inside the country for a consultative conference in South Sudan’s Upper Nile state.

Rebel fighters aligned with former vice-president Riek Machar gather in a village in South Sudan’s Upper Nile state on 8 February 2014 (Photo: Goran Tomasevic/Reuters)

Joseph Contreras, the head of public information at UNMISS, said the mission received a written request on 17 November from the office of IGAD’s special envoys for South Sudan to provide air transportation to SPLM/A-IO delegates based in Unity, Upper Nile and Jonglei states for talks sponsored by mediators.

“The mission declined the IGAD request in writing on 19 November, citing security and practical reasons. Earlier this week, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation forwarded a written communication to the Office of the IGAD Special Envoys for South Sudan advising that the Government of South Sudan has no objection to the facilitation of transportation of participants of SPLM/A-IO from locations in Unity, Upper Nile and Jonglei states to Pagak and back to their respective destinations after the completion of their consultations", Contreras said Thursday.

"GRSS communication did not refer to UNMISS as a facilitating organization in this regard, and the UNMISS decision that it is not in a position to provide air transportation for the delegates remains unchanged”, he added.

UNMISS, Contreras said, sent a formal communication to the government conveying this position and further reiterated its full support for the IGAD-led peace process and will continue to strictly implement its mandate in an impartial manner.

The South Sudanese government said on Wednesday it had permitted all rebel commanders in the field to use UN available aircrafts to a venue where they would hold consultative meeting, revising its previous decision which rejected the request.

“It has never happened anywhere that an elected and legitimate government facilitates the meeting of the rebels fighting it, but because of peace, the president based on the request by the IGAD, decided to allow the United Nations and any other group ready to facilitate the transportation of the rebels to the consultation meeting, if this would be bring peace,” said Abdun Terkoc, the undersecretary in the foreign affairs ministry.

IGAD, a regional bloc mediating the peace talks aimed at bringing an end to the more than 11-month-long conflict, announced earlier this month that the talks would resume after the two sides have carried out consultation with their constituencies on key contentious issues to be resolved by the main rival parties.

If implemented, the move would now help the field armed opposition commanders of the SPLM/A-IO allied to the former vice president, Riek Machar to meet at Pagak in Upper Nile state to deliberate over a proposed power-sharing deal.

The opposition initially planned to hold its consultative meeting to start between the 19th and 20th in their controlled area, but the meeting was delayed due to several factors, including transport

The UN Security Council (UNSC) on Tuesday unanimously renewed the mandate of the 12,500-strong peacekeeping mission for six months, with a focus on the protection of civilians.

In an adopted resolution, the UNSC extended UNMISS mandate until 30 May 2015.

The UN, currently sheltering about 100,000 displaced people at its protection of civilian sites, is also expected to facilitate relief assistance and monitor human rights.

(ST).