Ban wants 5,500 more soldiers for UN mission in S Sudan

Amid growing violence and attacks on UN peacekeepers in South Sudan, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has recommended to the Security Council that an additional 5,500 soldiers and 423 police personnel be deployed in the troubled nation.
The UN mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) currently has about 7,000 soldiers along with nearly 700 police and 2,000 civilian employees.
Ban, in a letter to the President of the Security Council, said while the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) is doing everything it can, within its means to protect civilians, UN and international personnel he is taking steps to urgently strengthen the protection capabilities of UNMISS.

Ban said given the urgent priority requirements of UNMISS for protection of civilians, he recommended that five infantry battalions, three attack helicopters, three utility helicopters, one military transport aircraft, 5,500 soldiers and three formed police units totalling 423 personnel be sent to South Sudan.
These would be transferred to UNMISS from other missions, in particular the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), the United Nations Interim Security Force in Abyei (UNISFA), the United Nations Operation in Cote d'Ivoire (UNOCI) and the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL).

"I am deeply concerned about the growing violence, human rights abuses and killings fuelled by ethnic tensions in many parts of South Sudan. The displacement of civilians is growing and spreading. Efforts to facilitate a political solution to the crisis are ongoing but have yet to gain traction," Ban said in the letter dated December 23.

Two Indian peacekeepers were killed and one wounded when 2000 rebel youths attacked a UN mission in Akobo last week.
Ban said the human rights investigation capacity of UNMISS is being urgently strengthened with the support of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

His office is also in the process of obtaining the consent of the troop and police contributing countries concerned and is coordinating closely with peacekeeping operations to ensure that the timing and duration of this proposed temporary redeployment does not impact the implementation of their respective mandates.
"I would be grateful if the Security Council would approve the transfer of the relevant personnel and assets to UNMISS on an urgent basis in order to help ensure the protection of civilians and the protection of United Nations personnel and assets," Ban, said.
The assistance of member states, including Security Council members, is sought for air and other transportation for the timely deployment of UN personnel, he said.