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Interview: Protection force delay encourages warring factions in South Sudan: expert

Xinhua, January 31, 2017 Adjust font size:

South Sudanese law expert Remember Miamingi on Tuesday that the delayed arrival of the Regional Protection Force (RPF) to the war-torn youngest nation has encouraged the warring factions to continue with the senseless war that has caused huge humanitarian suffering since December, 2013.

"The deployment of the Regional Protection Force will not bring the violence to an end, but it could contribute to creating some pockets of safe zones for civilians in and around Juba who cannot flee the country and are daily subjected to untold atrocities," he disclosed.

He added that the Salva Kiir led Transitional Unity Government (TGoNU) should see reason to resuscitate the signed August 2015 peace agreement with now exiled rebel leader Riek Machar and also commit to it's full implementation.

He blamed the delayed deployment of the much-awaited RPF on inaction by the UN Security Council (UNSC) despite authorizing it.

"This UNSC resolution is binding and has the force of international law behind it. Under normal circumstances, a flagrant and persistent violation of a binding resolution of the UNSC should warrant serious punitive measures including sanctions and embargoes," he told Xinhua in an interview from South Africa.

South Sudan accepted the deployment of the RPF in November in the aftermath of the UNSC issuing resolution 2304 last August, but it again reneged on the decision in January this year, while calling for new resolution on the African peace keepers.

"As we see UNSC deadlines come and go, threats of action issued and rescinded in the face of increasing security and humanitarian tragedies of monumental proportions unfolding in South Sudan, many of us no longer take the UNSC seriously. We are convinced more than ever that we must take things into our own hands," he added.

South Sudan has been shattered by civil war that broke out in December 2013 after President Kiir accused his former deputy Machar of plotting a coup. Machar denied the accusation but then mobilized a rebel force.

A peace deal signed in August 2015 led to the formation of a transitional unity government in April, but was again devastated by fresh violence in July, 2016.

Tens of thousands of South Sudanese have been killed, with over 2 million displaced and another 4.6 million left severely food insecure, since December 2013. Endit