Good morning ladies and gentlemen of the media, and welcome to the United Nations weekly press briefing broadcast live on UN radio Miraya from UN House, in Juba. Also a warm welcome to our radio listeners who have tuned in and the media from Torit.
Today our guest speaker is the UN Police Commissioner Mr. Bruce Munyambo. It will be his first briefing with you after he has arrived in South Sudan on 29 February this year. The Police Commissioner has a wealth of experience in the Rwandese police where he has held senior positions as well as in Peacekeeping operations having previously served in Haiti and Sierra Leone.
International Peace Keepers Day
A few words to start on Peacekeeping and “Honouring our Heroes”, the theme of the United Nations commemorations that took place in New York but also throughout the world to mark International Peace Keepers Day. Ceremonies were also held in South Sudan last Monday, in the stadium of Wau or in Bor as well as in UN House in Juba. The guest of Honour was Honorable Hussein Mar Nyuot, who is South Sudan Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management.
In her speech, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in South Sudan and Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) SRSG Ms. Ellen Margrethe Loej reiterated the commitment of the Mission to support the Transitional Government of National Unity. She also added that “today we honour our heroes who have lost their lives in the service of peace. But this day is also about honouring our heroes – including those of you here today – who continue to serve the mission in your various capacities”.
The UN and South Sudanese flags were lowered and the names of the 13 UNMISS peacekeepers who died in 2015 were read out. The parade was formed by 6 military contingents, UN Police Officers and civilians - national and international. There were songs and dancing to appeal for peace, reconciliation and respect for human rights from a group of pupils from St. Thomas Primary School in Gudele West.
You will also find elements of background in the Secretary-General message where he insisted on the growth of peacekeeping operations in the world, with fewer than 40,000 military and police personnel 15 years ago against more than 105,000 today. The Secretary-General also indicated that since the 1st deployment in 1948, more than 3,400 Peacekeepers have lost lives in the service of peace, 129 just for last year.
On Protection of Civilians’ sites
According to our latest figures, 26 May 2016, UNMISS now protects some 170,000 civilians (169,983) in the six UNMISS protection of civilians sites in South Sudan. The new figures clearly indicate a decreasing trend, especially in Bentiu.
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Bentiu
The total number of IDPs in Bentiu PoC site is now 98,653, a decrease of almost 7,000 (6,935) from last week. You may remember that there have been up to 122,000 residents at the peak of the conflict. The main destination remains the counties of Rubkona and Guit to where 1,111 civilians made their way only last week. As explained in another media briefing, these counties have been targeted for an increase humanitarian response and support to allow civilians to consider return for farming activities, something very important in a climate of food insecurity.
In fact, an additional 200 (198) civilians currently living in the PoC site, farmers, have also requested support from UNMISS and humanitarian partners for their farming activities in the surrounding areas of the PoC site. UNMISS will support the initiative by providing escort to one or two selected locations for farming. This is an addition to the already ongoing foot patrols UNMISS forces have been conducting on the shortcut road used towards Rubkona. These patrols, conducted two mornings a week and every evening, are especially meant to protect women collecting firewood.
Leaving the PoC site, voluntarily, is now ongoing trend and a positive development despite it still being a fragile process. This is the result of combined efforts of the humanitarian community and UNMISS components outside the PoC site to show support and visibility.
UNMISS is also manning a Forward Operating Base in Bentiu town as well as a Temporary Operating Base in Leer, from which UNMMISS can project troops and patrol according to needs. This in turn provides an increased sense of safety at a time when post-conflict and transitional institutions are put in place. Together with humanitarian partners and communities, UNMISS will continue to identify locations to where communities may wish to return.
Last week also saw the visit in Bentiu of a high level UN delegation led by Francois Grignon, who is the team leader of the Integrated Operations Team for UNMISS in the department of Peacekeeping Operations in NY HQs. One of the objectives of the visit was to meet with communities in Bentiu and vicinity also including Leer where the delegation travelled, met with civilians and local authorities as well as UNMISS troops.
Francois Grignon indicated that he had come to evaluate “progress on the implementation of the peace agreement” and added that he was “encouraged by current developments” namely civilians leaving PoCs sites as well as local parties dialoguing as was seen in Leer and some parts of Rubkona area
Malakal
Following the incident of February, the relocation of civilians from the UNMISS log base to the PoC site is ongoing. As of 25 May, only 2,000 civilians remain in the UNMISS log base, ahead of the planned conclusion of the relocation process this week.
Other issues
Women
In Wau, Women-Focused Forum was conducted last week to build peace amidst insecurity and the crisis that affected many women in the town who lost their family or were raped.
Melut
Last week in Melut a veterinary aid camp was established for 2 days in Melut County. The Indian Battalion supported the provision of treatment and deworming facilities to local animal owners. Over 650 animals were treated, 2/3 of them being cattle.
37 sniffing dogs have arrived in Juba (UNMAS)
More animals…. The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) has received 37 explosive detective dogs in Juba last week. The dogs regularly support UNPOL in the PoC sites as well as UNMAS activities. In 2015, 19,781 vehicles, 13,587 bags and 970 buildings were searched using these canine teams. The dogs have been transferred to temporary kennels in Gumbo, Juba. While some dogs will remain in Juba to work at the UN bases, protection of Civilians sites and the UN airport, many will be transferred to Bentiu, Bor and Malakal.
You may recall last week’s news when on 25 May, the National Wildlife Service with the support of an airport sniffer dog unit found 10 kilograms of frozen pangolin meat, the most trafficked mammal in the world, which also led to the discovery of smuggled elephant tusk ivory, both elephants and pangolins are the wildlife heritage of South Sudan.
Let me also remind you of the number anyone can call in case of a suspicious object, or unexploded ordnance: 0920 00 10 55. There is also email: report@unmass.org
The guest speaker today is the Un Police Commissioner Bruce Munyambo. The floor is yours.
Thank you very Ariane and members of the press. First of all I would like to thank you for attending this press briefing. It is always an opportunity for us to interact with members of the press and share information on our activities as well as receive information from you for our mutual benefit and also for the benefit of the public. We will continue to avail ourselves in such press conferences to give you whatever information you will like to get from us and possibly disseminate it to contribute towards positive journalism.
UNPOL has a mandate which includes the protection of civilians, training and supporting the Joint Integrated Police (JIP), also providing support in monitoring, reporting on human rights. We also contribute to the creation of conditions for the delivery of humanitarian assistance and by doing so we support the implementation of the peace agreement.
We are deployed extensively in different POC sites in Juba, Malakal, Bentiu, Bor and in other areas and we appreciate the work UNPOL is doing in terms of protection of civilians and in terms of implementing the mandate.
On that note I wish to invite you to ask questions. We are on business and we can assure South Sudanese people that UNPOL will continue to support them in as far as implementing the peace process.
Questions and Answers
Denis Elamu – Xinhua News Agency: I would like the Police Commissioner to clarify the areas where UNPOL focuses in terms of training, human Rights and general issues?
UNPOL PC Munyambo (PC): Regarding the Joint Integrated Police (JIP), we focus on community policing or rather community-oriented policing, on child protection, on having good working relations with communities. We have already trained 40 police officers who can further train others, they will be supporting the JIP various training projects.
Emmanuel Tombe – Alarabiya TV: One of your duties is investigating human rights. Do you have any percentages, and can you give us about the status of the human rights in South Sudan, and the challenges you are facing at this particular stage?
PC: We do not investigate human rights cases; UNMISS has a human rights division that we support. They are doing a very good work. That said, in a transitional period towards the establishment of peace like now, there can always be a need for improvement. This is the reason why we do sensitization sessions for the promotion of human rights and hence I believe we enable a more peaceful environment.
Dau Majok john – This Day Newspapers: You did mention that you are supporting the peace implementation. Can you clarify how you supporting the process? You have also mentioned community policing on which you have focussed. Where and in which state have you been doing this and how many projects so far you have achieved?
PC: When we are protecting civilians, establishing cordon and searches operations, when we are making the police visible, when we are supporting the training of the JIP, we are actually enabling an environment for the peace process to be implemented. We conduct physical protection of civilians especially in the POC sites; we are also enabling a conducive environment for the delivery of humanitarian assistance. That’s the way we are supporting the peace process. And of course, we have been conducting several programs in regard to sexual exploitation and abuse; we have been trying to sensitize, especially in the POC sites where we have been interacting on a number of issues regarding human rights and child protection. All these are projects which support the peace process.
From Torit (inaudible): A question on under-aged children detention. What is your mandate about it and how far have ensured that children are protected? The2nd question goes to Ariane Quentier, about the Transitional Government of National Unity. Can you tell us what are the obstacles hindering the implementation of the peace agreement?
PC: First of all, for juvenile offenses, the first responsibility goes to the parents. When there is juvenile offending, it means there are gaps in parenting, in the education system, in the way children are handled. So UNPOL does sensitization program of community policing to minimize these gaps so that the children do not indulge in offending. (inaudible) This can also be connected with human rights, abuse of children’s rights. Children are the future leaders of this country; they are the future people who are going to foster the agenda of this country.
Ariane Quentier (AQ): From my side, I would not say there is not enough progress. I would say there could be more progress but there has been progress. The peace agreement was signed in August; the implementation agreement signed less than a month later. Yes it did take time to bring together the Transitional Government of National Unity, but we are talking about a peace process, about a process between enemies, a process which by definition cannot be easy. But let me disagree with you, the peace process has been regularly moving forward in the last eight months. We had the return of the First Vice President, the formation of the Transitional Government of National Unity. That’s not a little step, that’s a major step. We also have Joint Monitoring Ceasefire Commission (JMCC) that has been established, the Joint Operation Centre (JOC), and the JIP is moving forward.
All these are elements that have been recognized by South Sudanese civilians as progress, the proof of it being what is currently happening in Bentiu. If there was no progress, if the people’s inner feeling was that there was no progress as you just said, they wouldn’t have started to return to their homes. Yes it is slow, yes it could go faster. I also believe that all the international community not only the UNMISS but also the neighbouring countries, the African Union, the IGAD, South Sudanese should all mobilize to allow South Sudan to make even more progress for the implementation of the peace and for the people of South Sudan.
Junior Ali – Eye Radio: Police Commissioner, one of the responsibilities of the UN police is training the Joint Integrated Police, have you started the training the police and if not why?
PC: We are heading in a positive direction. We have had a “training of trainers” for 40 officers, in other words we trained them to be able to train other police officers. We assisted in the JIP meetings, and now there is Joint Management Team of the JIP. I am also happy to report that on the 24th of May there was a ministerial order establishing the Joint management Team. We will now start more training thanks to the establishment the Joint Management Team.
The Dawn Newspaper: My question goes to Ariane. You did mention earlier that the peace is progressing and just recently, the UN Security Council has voted to extend sanctions against people blocking the peace process? Will it not jeopardize the peace implementation?
AQ: I can’t really comment on sanctions because it is a decision of the UN Security Council in New York. But I stand by what I have just said; the implementation of the peace process is ongoing. Why did the Security Council decide that it was not enough is something that should be asked to the Security Council. Again there was no agreement eight months ago, there is a peace agreement now, there is a transitional government, there is Joint Integrated Police, and there is Joint Monitoring Ceasefire Commission. There have been a lot of elements put in place. Peace implementation may not be fully achieved, but the process is ongoing.
Denis Elamu – Xinhua News Agency: I heard that you were involved in engaging the government with the issue of patrolling?
AQ: As I said last week we have had issues in the area of Yambio where we were asked not to patrol with heavy equipment because it gave a sense of insecurity while there was peace; this came also from the local authorities. As I said, we have discussed with local authorities, and had meetings along the month of May. We are currently conducting limited patrols inside Yambio and we are doing regular short and long patrols out of Yambio.
Emmanuel Tombe – Alarabiya TV: How far have you trained the police on community policing, secondly on the protection of civilians is the protection only for people within the POC sites or does it include those outside the PoC sites and finally about the safety of civilians on the roads you see a lot of killings and abducted children from the roads?
AQ: Before the Police Commissioner takes the floor, let me remind you that security is the primary responsibility of South Sudan. South Sudan is an independent sovereign country with a police and security forces; it is their duty to ensure safety and security in the country. We are not here to replace the South Sudanese authorities, but to support them
PC: We conduct a series of community policing programs especially in the POC sites on a number of issues on sexual and gender based violence, protection of civilians, women and vulnerable persons. We also sensitize the community watch groups. (inaudible) We have a monthly news bulletin focussing on our activities. On the protection of civilians l also said we do access control, cordon and search operations. The visibility of the police as well as communicating with opinion leaders creates an enabling environment for the protection of civilians. When it comes to road safety and security, this is again a shared responsibility; it is the primary responsibility of the South Sudan National Police Service.
Emmanuel Tombe – Alarabiya TV: Regarding Police training, do you know how many South Sudanese Police you have you trained, and what are the logistical and financial challenges you are facing?
PC: We have been doing a series of trainings especially when we had a capacity building mandate. Now we are focusing on the JIP training. I have made already elaborated. In terms of challenges, we should rather look at the way to mitigate them. What is important is not just listing the challenges but to have the will to overcome them. So we have a good collaboration with our stakeholders, we are on the ground, we have deployed all our resources towards the peace implementation, there might be few challenges which are common, like the road conditions sometimes during the raining season. We try our very best to see that the challenges we meet are mitigated.
Torit, Inaudible name of media: UNMISS mandate is to protect civilians, as for the UN Police. We have had incidents of killings on the roads especially around Equatoria and the Juba – Nemule road. We don’t know the perpetrators, how can the UN Police help the government to ensure security along the roads and ensure free movements of people?
PC: I believe that once having trained 5400 JIPs, they will be operating in Juba, Malakal, Bentiu, Bor and other areas. Some of the trainings will be to create an enabling environment where issues of security and safety can be addressed. But as said, it remains the responsibility of the government to protect the civilians. We are supporting the JIP, supporting the peace process and making it easier for the government to deliver services.