Details have emerged from the South Sudanese capital, Juba that the United Nations has somehow been arming rebels in the ongoing conflict in the country.
Local reporters say government troops intercepted weapons and ammunitions in Rumbek, the capital of Lakes State. The weapons were being transported to Bentiu, the capital of Unity State which is one of the key areas for the rebels in the conflict.
The South Sudanese government said the weapons were in a UN convoy marked as carrying food and first aid equipments.
Dozens of protestors poured on the street of Juba to protest and demonstrate against what they described as “an unacceptable behavior by the World governing body.
Protesters demanded the resignation of UN South Sudan special representative Hilda Johnson, accusing her of behind the plot. There has been no comment from Hilda Johnson.
But the UN has denied that the arms were being transported for the rebels but acknowledged it made a mistake transporting them by road. All UN logistic especially sensitive items such as weapons are transported by air and this indeed raises some questions.
The United Nations spokeswoman, Ariane Quentier told the BBC African Service that the United Nations acknowledged that it had breached an agreement with the government when it transported the weapons by road instead of by air.
“This is a very, very regrettable mistake because it sent absolutely wrong signals to the rest of the world” Miss Quentier said.
She added that a high-level UN team would arrive in the country on Tuesday to carry out joint investigations with the government into the incident.
Fighting in South Sudan broke out on December 15 last year and regional leaders together with the UN are helping the country to restore peace and stability. The UN currently has about 8,000 peacekeepers in the country and this revelation would somehow stall the peace process.
Thousands of civilians have been killed in an almost three-month-long conflict between the government forces of President Salva Kiir and rebels loyal to his former sacked vice President, Riek Machar.
A ceasefire was agreed between the two sides in early January in a deal mediated by regional leaders but both sides have accused each other of violating the ceasefire agreement.
Both President Kiir and Mr. Machar were part of the Sudanese Peoples’ Liberation Movement (SPLM) which fought for independence from Sudan but relation between the two worsen in less than 2 years of independence from Sudan.
Issaka Adams / NationalTurk Africa News
Writer’s Email Address: Adamsisska@googlemail.com
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