The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) says that “urgent military reinforcements are needed” to protect the increasing population of civilians at its base in Bentiu after massacres in the town last week.

“The Mongolian Battalion, UN Police, UN Security and Formed Police Units are doing a great job in providing security,” said Mary Cummins, the mission’s acting Unity State coordinator. “However, with the big numbers of displaced people, we need the Ghanaian Battalion to arrive soon.”

Following renewed violence in Unity State last week, the number of displaced people at the UNMISS protection site had gone up from 4,500 at the beginning of April to 22,000, Cummins said.

In an article on the website of UNMISS, the coordinator is quoted as saying, “Internally, we are constantly reviewing all our security measures to ensure that we provide adequate protection for civilians. We have patrols going out at least twice a day and are working with community leaders in the protection site to sensitize civilians on security measures.”

The acting Unity State coordinator noted that working with community leaders had gained renewed importance following a rocket attack at the base on 17 April.

“On Thursday, we got a rocket attack and two rockets exploded,” said Cummins. “There is another one still on site that, given the large number of displaced people, is not safe to decommission at the moment. We are making sure that area is cordoned off and that people are aware and kept safe.”

Following the rocket attack which left a seven-year-old child wounded, displaced people seeking shelter at the base in Bentiu said they felt less safe in the protection site.

A number of displaced people living at the base were also quoted by UNMISS as saying they no longer felt safe at the base after the rocket attack and the attack on the UN base in Bor. 

Photo: UNMISS Mongolian battalion evacuating civilians from Bentiu, Unity State, 16 April 2014 (UNMISS)

To contact Radio Tamazuj with information, use the contact form on our website. To join the discussion, follow us on Facebook.