The Force Commander of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has denied insinuations made by the government of South Sudan that the UN tried to supply weapons to ‘rebels’ in Unity State.

Several UN trucks carrying equipment for the Ghanaian peacekeeping contingent were stopped and searched last week while en route to Bentiu via Rumbek. 

Minister of Information Michael Makuei on Saturday took with him film crews on a one-day trip to Rumbek, where he accused the UN of ‘ill intention,’ stating, “All these trucks were loaded with illegal arms that were smuggled into South Sudan.”

“There is no guarantee that these materials were not going to other directions other than UNMISS,” said the minister.

UNMISS Commander Major General Delali Johnson Sakyi contradicted Makuei, stating, “Let me be clear, the weapons and ammunition found in Rumbek were never intended to serve any other purpose than that of peace and protection of South Sudanese civilians.”

“They were not intended for the use of any other entity than the new Ghanaian contingent, and they were not being transported clandestinely. This is also why we readily agreed to the inspection of the cargo at the checkpoint in Rumbek,” he added.

The UN peacekeeping commander also clarified that images of ‘land mines’ shown on state-run SSTV and circulated on the internet were in fact “canisters for (gas) masks or respirators.”

Sakyi, who is also the most senior Ghanaian officer in the UN mission, added that the Ghanaian contingent is authorized by the UN Security Council to carry weapons.

The Ghanaian troops have “just arrived in South Sudan as part of the additional troops authorized by the Security Council.”

He said they are in South Sudan to “help protect civilians, assist with access to civilians who have fled the recent fighting and violence, as well as to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance.”

Photo: Equipment of the Ghanaian peacekeeping contingent of UNMISS, which was displayed by authorities in Rumbek on Saturday