UN Urged to Boost Peacekeeping Troops in South Sudan Amid Rising Violence

Strategic Insights -

As South Sudan prepares for independence, a coalition of international nongovernmental organizations is warning the United Nations to ensure a strong mandate for its peacekeepers and to increase the number of troops deployed to the region after July 9, 2011. The UN Security Council is set to authorize a new peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, but some member states are pushing for lower troop levels due to cost concerns.

Key Takeaways:

  • The International Rescue Committee's country director for South Sudan, Susan Purdin, stated that the UN estimates for troop levels were already too conservative and that the Security Council should not be swayed by cost concerns at the expense of human lives.
  • The coalition pointed to increasing security threats in South Sudan, particularly near the north-south border, and the government's lack of capacity to protect its civilians effectively as key challenges for the new mission.
  • Between January and mid-May, violent clashes have displaced over 117,000 people and killed almost 1,400 in South Sudan alone, according to UN sources.
  • The coalition warned that cutting costs by skimping on troop numbers would lead to bigger costs, both human and financial, in the future.
  • The future peacekeeping mission in South Sudan will face significant challenges, including security threats and the government's limited capacity to protect civilians.
  • The coalition includes leading international human rights and humanitarian groups, such as Human Rights Watch and Oxfam.

Statistics:

  • 117,000 people displaced between January and mid-May 2011 in South Sudan (Human Rights Watch)
  • 1,400 people killed between January and mid-May 2011 in South Sudan (Human Rights Watch)
  • 5,000 current UN troops in Sudan (UNMIS)
  • 7,000 proposed troop increase by the UN secretary-general (Human Rights Watch)
  • 382,000 South Sudanese displaced as of May 2011 (Idibas Refugee Resettlement Program)

Sources:

  • Human Rights Watch
  • International Rescue Committee
  • Open Society Foundations
  • Oxfam
  • Pact
  • Sudan Refugees International
  • Trcaire