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UN chief Ban Ki-moon has sacked the head of the world body's mission in South Sudan, citing "lack of leadership and prepardeness" which led to conflicting orders to troops from India, China, Nepal and Ethiopia in tackling violence around its premises in Juba.
Ban's spokesman Stephane Dujarric said at the daily briefing here yesterday that the Secretary-General has asked for the "immediate replacement" of UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) Force Commander Lt Gen Johnson Mogoa Kimani Ondieki.
The UN chief had received the report of the independent inquiry into the response of the mission after violence broke out in an around its premises in the capital Juba in July.
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Ban said he is "deeply distressed" by the report's findings, including that UNMISS did not respond effectively to the violence, which erupted in early July, due to an overall "lack of leadership, preparedness and integration" among the various components of the mission.
"On the uniformed side, the Force did not operate under a unified command, resulting in multiple and sometimes conflicting orders to the four troop contingents from China, Ethiopia, Nepal and India, and ultimately underusing the more than 1,800 infantry troops at UN House," the report said.
India, among the largest contributors to UN peacekeeping, had over 2,000 troops based in the UN mission in South Sudan during the time.
The incidents occurred during a spate of clashes between rival forces -- the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) loyal to President Salva Kiir and the SPLA in Opposition backing First Vice-President Riek Machar -- that broke out in and around Juba on July 7, close to the fifth anniversary of the country's independence.
UN compounds and UNMISS-managed civilian protection sites were attacked during the fighting and, according to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, a separate preliminary UN investigation into the violence and its aftermath revealed that government security forces carried out killings and rapes, and looted and destroyed properties.
The special investigation commissioned by the Secretary- General, led by a retired UN peacekeeper, Major General Patrick Cammaert, found that "UNMISS did not respond effectively to the violence due to an overall lack of leadership, preparedness and integration among the various components of the mission" and that "command and control arrangements were inadequate, while peacekeepers maintained a risk-averse posture".
"These factors contributed to the failure of UNMISS to respond to the attack by Government soldiers on the Terrain camp on 11 July and protect civilians under threat," the report said.
The UN Chief vowed to "ensure that the necessary steps are taken to enable UNMISS to protect civilians more effectively, including through greater accountability of the mission's civilian and uniformed leadership.
(Reopens FGN 26)
The report noted that during the three days of fighting, according to some conservative estimates, at least 73 people were killed, including more than 20 internally displaced persons.
Two peacekeepers were killed and several more were injured.
In addition, 182 buildings in the UN House compound were struck by bullets, mortars and rocket propelled grenades.
"(Ban) reiterates his outrage over the acts of violence committed in Juba in July and the continuing betrayal of the people of South Sudan by too many of its leaders," a statement issued by Ban's spokesperson had said.
South Sudan has faced ongoing challenges since a political face-off between Kiir and Machar erupted into full blown conflict in December 2013.
The crisis has produced one of the world's worst displacement situations with immense suffering for civilians.
