UN
Still
Won't Confirm
Sudan Army
Invasion of
Town in South
Sudan
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
December 6 --
Despite having
a peacekeeping
mission in
South
Sudan, the UN
for two days
running has
been unable or
unwilling to
confirm that
Sudan's Armed
Forces cross
the border and
occupied the
town of Jau in
Unity State
over the
weekend.
On
December 5
Inner City
Press asked
for the UN's
response, and
how it would
deal
with Sudan's
Defense
Minister now
that he has
been indicted
for war
crimes by the
International
Criminal
Court.
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon's
spokesman
Martin Nesirky
said in
essence that
the UN will
continue to
work with the
Defense
Minister, and
that he would
check
on the attack
on Jau.
Twenty
four hours
later, not
having heard
any response
from the UN,
Inner City
Press
asked
again:
Inner
City
Press:
yesterday I
had asked
whether the UN
especially,
its
Mission in
south Sudan,
could confirm
the taking and
may be
relinquishing
of this city
of Jau --
Spokesperson
Nesirky:
Well, I did
check, and my
colleagues did
check. The UN
Mission in
South Sudan is
aware of the
reports, as I
mentioned
yesterday, of
fighting in
the Jaw area
on the border
between
Southern
Kordofan and
Unity State.
However, the
Mission is not
in a position
to confirm
this
information at
the moment.
(c)
UN Photo
Ban Ki-moon
& Herve
Ladsous,
change after
ICC indictment
not seen
And
for
its part, the
Office for the
Coordination
of
Humanitarian
Affairs
is telling us
that the
humanitarian
coordination
team in South
Sudan
is concerned
that thousands
of people have
been placed in
severe
danger
following this
reported
protracted
artillery and
aerial
bombardments
that took
place this
weekend along
the border
that we’re
just talking
about. And
this of course
is already
coming amid a
worrying
increase in
hostilities
between the
Sudanese Armed
Forces
and the SPLA
(North) in
that area in
South Sudan.
Aid agencies
have
been forced to
withdraw
staff, the
Office for the
Coordination
of
Humanitarian
Affairs is
telling us,
and they are
concerned,
that they
cannot provide
sustained and
uninterrupted
assistance,
such as food
and health, to
the
approximately
20,000
refugees in
the Yida area
in
South Sudan.
And
also,
what I can
mention is
that plans to
help 4,000
people, who
had
fled earlier
fighting,
moved to safe
areas, have
been
complicated by
reports of
landmines in
the area. So,
the team, and
that means the
humanitarian
coordination
team in South
Sudan, has
called on the
Government of
Sudan and the
SPLA (North)
to abide by
international
humanitarian
law and
refrain from
further
actions which
could harm
innocent
people.
Inner
City
Press: for
some reasons
it strikes me,
OCHA, if they
are saying
that people
are fleeing
this area, are
people fleeing
reports of an
attack or an
attack? It
sounds like
they may be
there or
confirming
--
Spokesperson
Nesirky:
I think the
point here,
Matthew, is
that the
Mission is not
in a position
to confirm it
by being right
there on the
spot. They
are aware of
the reports.
It’s obvious
that something
is
happening, or
has happened.
It’s simply
that the
Mission is not
right there on
the spot to be
able to
confirm the
details. I
think
it is as
simple as
that. I
wouldn’t try
to see a
discrepancy
there, okay,
Matthew?
But
why hasn't the
UN, especially
its
peacekeeping
mission there,
been able to
confirm
(or of course
deny) the
violation of
the border?
Again, since Herve
Ladsous was
installed at
the fourth
Frenchman in a
row atop DPKO,
the
Department's
answers have
grown less
frequent
and more
contrary to
accountability
and to the
protection of
civilians,
whether dodging
questions
about any
standing
claims
commission
regarding the
introduction
of cholera
into Haiti,
monitoring
Sudanese Armed
Forces
flights of
Janjaweed
militia from
Darfur to
Southern
Kordofan
or
entry into
South Sudan.
Things seem to
be getting
worse daily.
Watch
this site.
, 
