By Lodu William Odiya
Central Equatoria and United Nation Mission in South Sudan have agreed to improve and coordinate security operations to protect civilians in the state.
This was reach at recently, in a two-day dialogue under the theme “Improved collaborations to protect civilians” in Juba.
According to a press release, Security Advisor at Central Equatoria state governor’s office, Angelo Lodo Daya said the two-days forum aim at enhancing confidence, trust and operational coordination between national uniformed personnel and the United Nations mission in South Sudan (UNMISS)
“As partners in providing security and safety to civilian population, we have a collective responsibility to work together amicably and build trust,” Lodo said.
According to Head of UN Peacekeeping mission’s Field Office in the state, Njoki Rahab Kinyajui, it was a timely event.
“In past months, we have seen a distinct increase in violence across Central Equatoria, which has led to civilian displacement and fatalities,” she said.
According to Njoki, there is also a proliferation of mis- and disinformation, which has the potential to fuel more tensions. She added that it was an extremely important forum, which gave a space to speak candidly with national and state-level interlocuters about the challenges faced in ensuring a peaceful and secure environment.
“There’s no substitute for sitting across a table and having a productive interaction so that we can work with our partners and find pathways to make people’s lives and livelihoods more secure,” she stressed.
Ms. Njoki is optimistic that the discussions created mutual operational understanding about the tripartite agreement between the SSPDF, UNMISS and the Joint Verification and Monitoring Mechanism.
She described the agreement as the single window through which the Mission interacts with government entities for enabling and facilitating unhindered movement and deployment of its troops across South Sudan.
She explained that the platform, is expected to help improve some of the difficulties that patrolling peacekeepers face on the ground.
“Our patrols are vital to our broader efforts to protect civilians,” Ms. Njoki explained, emphasizing that however, one of the biggest challenges right now in Central Equatoria is limited access.
Though the primary responsibility for protecting civilians lies with the Government of South Sudan, UN Peacekeeping mission needs to be able to reach locations across the state where the potential for violence is high.
“So, a cooperative approach between the mission and security partners at every level is essential,” she added.
Fostering a deeper understanding of operational guidelines, the forum discussed the status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) between the government of this nation and UNMISS which is the key document to define the legal status of the UN Peacekeeping mission and outline the immunities and privileges of the UNMISS personnel.
It also deliberated on other core security concerns, including electoral security, confidence building measures for enhanced field cooperation, and the importance of protecting women, girls and children.
Brigadier General, Abraham Kuol from SSPDF Headquarters in Bilpam noted that there was a palpable sense of camaraderie and a shared concern for community security.
“We have always been steady partners with our sisters and brothers in the United Nations. And it is time for us to strengthen that partnership and ensure these discussions provide us with clarity on how, together we can improve security conditions across the state,” he commended.