
South Sudan: Eye Radio shut down (11.11.2016)









07/11/2016: An increasing number of South Sudanese will continue to face difficulty in meeting daily food needs in the coming months despite harvests, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization has warned.
The end of the lean season and start of harvests in South Sudan are traditionally associated with a reduction in food insecurity due to more food stocks and lower food prices in the markets, bringing much needed relief. According to recent FAO assessments, the number of severely food insecure people at this time is 3.7 million people – 31 percent of the country’s estimated population and an increase of an overall 1 million people compared to the same period last year.
Though harvests have provided some reprieve, FAO experts warn that the benefits will be short lived as local stocks will deplete rapidly. Following seasonal patterns food insecurity levels in 2017 is destined to rapidly deteriorate to massive proportions. The risk of famine is increasingly real, especially for South Sudan’s most vulnerable communities.
“The renewed violence has had severe repercussions on agricultural production and stability needs to be restored to enable farmers to return to their fields. We are seeing an unprecedented number of food insecure people at harvest time and many more people at risk of starvation in the months to come as stocks run out. There is a need to act now to prevent a catastrophe,” warns Serge Tissot, FAO Representative.
The Equatoria region which is responsible for over half of the country’s net cereal production has been severely impacted by the recent violence. In active conflict areas, an estimated 50 percent of all harvests have been lost and even more farmers were unable to plant for the second season due to insecurity. The displacement of people from those areas is also due to have profound effects on agricultural production, FAO experts warn.
Moreover, of grave concern is the most fragile areas Northern Bahr el Ghazal where the structural drivers of food insecurity – including the protracted economic crisis, market failure and the loss or depletion of livelihood assets – have continued to escalate. FAO’s harvest assessments findings show that farmers in this area have produced less than last year, with some areas being hard-hit by flooding and dry spells, raising their vulnerability. The report highlights Aweil East where sorghum production almost halved, dropping from 0.9 to 0.5 tonnes.
Since the outbreak of fighting in South Sudan’s capital Juba and other parts of the country, cereal prices have increased by more than 500 percent compared to the same period last year. Trade has been crippled by rampant insecurity along the main trade routes and traders’ inability to access hard currency for imports forcing them to close-down their businesses.
“With the market collapsing and many families having little to no safety nets to cope, we must empower them with the means to produce their own food. With this we want to structurally strengthen their livelihoods and boost their resilience,” explains Tissot, FAO Representative.
During the forthcoming dry season campaign, FAO aims to target 1.2 million people with distributions of vegetable and fishing kits and provision of trainings to farmers on modern farming techniques to increase yields. At the same time, FAO is preparing to meet the country’s greatest needs for the main planting season; this includes the provision of much needed agricultural inputs so that the most vulnerable can produce their own food. For this to happen, the food agency requires US $ 28 million by the end of the year.

This report has been targeted by the Kenyan Government becomes of the sections that we’re about the leadership of UNMISS Peacekeeping Operations in South Sudan. The UN House and other activity in Juba as the crisis sparked in July 2016. These words we’re too much for the Jubilee Government, President Uhuru Kenyatta and the overzealous Vice-President William Ruto. Therefore I had to go through it; it’s a short one and quick fix to read. This here is the key and they give you the ability see what the Independent Special Investigation coming in after serious reports happening in Juba in July. This is important to look at.
As the UN said: “Commenting on the report at the daily press briefing at UN Headquarters, Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric announced that in line with the report’s recommendations, the Secretary-General has asked for the “immediate replacement” of UNMISS Force Commander, Lt. Gen. Johnson Mogoa Kimani Ondieki” (UN, 2016).

Here is the aspect of the report that people should look at:
“In the weeks prior to the violence, UNMISS and the humanitarian community saw timely and accurate warning signs of the resumption of hostilities in Juba between the Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Army (SPLA) and Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO). Despite the early warning that fighting would take place near UN House, the Mission did not properly prepare for three critical and foreseeable scenarios” (Independent Special Investigation, 2016).
“The Special Investigation found that a lack of leadership on the part of key senior Mission personnel culminated in a chaotic and ineffective response to the violence” (…) “The JOC and the Security Information Operations Centre (SIOC) were not co-located, as required by UN policy, contributing to a fragmented security response” (…) “The Force Commander appointed the Chinese Battalion Commander as the Incident Commander, commanding all the forces at the UN House in addition to his own battalion. Furthermore, the Force Commander ordered the Incident Commander to retain an explicit and ultimately confusing command link to Sector South headquarters in Tomping, which was physically cut off from the UN House for the duration of the fighting. This confused arrangement, in combination with the lack of leadership on the ground, contributed to incidents of poor performance among the military and police contingents at UN House. This included at least two instances in which the Chinese battalion abandoned some of its defensive positions at POC 1 on 10 and 11 July. The Nepalese Formed Police Unit’s performance to stop looting by some IDPs inside UN House and control the crowd was inadequate” (Independent Special Investigation, 2016).
“At approximately 15:30, when the soldiers began looting and forcing their way into the accommodations, the residents immediately notified UN Security and UNMISS. During the attack, civilians were subjected to and witnessed gross human rights violations, including murder, intimidation, sexual violence and acts amounting to torture perpetrated by armed Government soldiers” (…) “The JOC made multiple requests to stand up a quick reaction force to respond but each UNMISS contingent turned down the request, indicating their troops were fully committed. The situation at UN House remained chaotic at this time, with thousands of IDPs in the staff accommodation area, armed men still threatening the perimeter of POC site 3, and large numbers of armed Government soldiers still on Yei road in front of UN House’s main gate” (Independent Special Investigation, 2016).
“The Special Investigation found that the lack of preparedness, ineffective command and control and a risk-averse or “inward-looking” posture resulted in a loss of trust and confidence—particularly by the local population and humanitarian agencies—in the will and skill of UNMISS military, police to be proactive and show a determined posture to protect civilians under threat, including from sexual violence and human rights violations” (Independent Special Investigation, 2016).

If this wasn’t damning for the UNMISS leadership and the peacekeepers where the investigation team clearly saw that the leadership we’re inward looking and not prepared. That shows that in country that is war-torn the leadership of UNMISS wasn’t prepared to secure their facilities or keeping the peace. The communication between the different battalions we’re chaotic with double roles and that was between the Chines Battalion and the Tomping PoC camp.
So with this there must be better than what they found and that the Kenyan Government feels sorrow for volunteering is understandable. It’s a slap on their face, but it is one Military Leader not prepared for the operation and facilitates the other battalions. Therefore when the violence came, they wasn’t on the alert, instead they we’re scattered. Something that the Protection of Civilians camp, Civilians, NGOs or the people around UNMISS sites.
Peace.
Reference:
Executive Summary of the Independent Special Investigation into the violence which occurred in Juba in 2016 and UNMISS response (01.11.2016)
UN – ‘South Sudan: Ban to put in place measures to improve UN Mission’s ability to protect civilians’ (01.11.2016) link: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=55448#.WB-jP_nhDIU



UNHCR is deeply concerned about the well-being of Mr James Gatdet Dak, SPLA IO Spokesperson, who was returned to South Sudan from Kenya on Monday, 2 November. Mr Dak had previously been granted refugee status by the Kenyan authorities.
Mr Dak’s forced return is a violation of the principle of non-refoulement, which is the cornerstone of international refugee law.
We also regret that UNHCR’s interventions with the Kenyan authorities to stop Mr Dak’s forced return were not successful.
We urge the Government of South Sudan to ensure that Mr Dak is treated in accordance with human rights law and standards.




The field mission, consisting of all fifteen members of the PSC, was led by H.E. Ambassador Catherine Muigai Mwangi, the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Kenya in her capacity as the Chairperson of the PSC for the month of October 2016.
JUBA, South Sudan, November 1, 2016 – The Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU) concluded its field mission to the Republic of South Sudan, which was undertaken from 28 to 31 October 2016, pursuant to a decision adopted at its 609th meeting held on 30 June 2016. The field mission, consisting of all fifteen members of the PSC, was led by H.E. Ambassador Catherine Muigai Mwangi, the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Kenya in her capacity as the Chairperson of the PSC for the month of October 2016.
The objective of the field mission was to gather first-hand information regarding the political, security, humanitarian and socio-economic situation in the country. During the mission, the PSC held extensive consultations with the President of the Republic of South Sudan, H.E. Salva Kiir Mayardit and other members of the Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU), including the First Vice President of the TGoNU, H.E. General Taban Deng Gai, representatives of SPLM Leaders (Former Detainees) namely, Honourable Deng Alor Kuol, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and Honourable John Luk Jok, the Minister of Transport.
The PSC also visited two protection of civilians sites (POCs) in Juba and Malakal where it interacted with the representatives of the internally displaced persons in these sites.
The PSC further held consultations with the African Diplomatic Corps; the Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations and Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and her team; representatives of the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC) and Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring Mechanism (CTSAMM); faith-based and women’s groups and representatives of Other Political Parties, including the SPLM/IO; as well as with the Troika and representatives of several bilateral and multilateral partners, including the European Union.
The PSC commended the TGoNU for demonstrating the necessary political will and commitment to implement the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (ARCSS) signed in August 2015. The PSC appealed to all South Sudanese people to fully embrace the peace process. To this end, the PSC encouraged the TGoNU to ensure that the implementation of the Peace Agreement is inclusive and to embark on a nation-wide campaign of civic education, with a view to generating the necessary momentum for the successful implementation of the Peace Agreement.
The PSC underscored the urgent need for the establishment of accountability, justice and reconciliation mechanisms as provided for in the Peace Agreement, including appropriate mechanisms to address issues relating to sexual violence in a timely manner, with a view to ensuring justice for the victims. The PSC welcomed the consent of the TGoNU for the deployment of the Regional Protection Force pursuant to United Nations Security Council Resolution 2304.
The PSC emphasized the critical importance of ensuring humanitarian access and encouraged the TGoNU to facilitate the activities of the institutions that were established by the Peace Agreement, including JMEC and CTSAMM. In addition, the PSC encouraged constructive engagement between the Government of the Republic of South Sudan and UNMISS with regard to the management of POCs.
The PSC reiterated its commitment to support the TGoNU and the people of South Sudan in implementing the Peace Agreement, among others, through the engagements of the AU High Representative for South Sudan, H.E. Alpha Oumar Konare. The PSC strongly urged all South Sudanese to embrace dialogue to find a consensual solution to the challenges impeding the implementation of the Peace Agreement.
The PSC expressed gratitude to the TGoNU and the UNMISS for facilitating the successful conduct of the field mission.