File Photo: UN Peacekeeper in South Sudan. (Agence France-Presse)
An Indian peacekeeper was injured in fresh firing in the troubled Malakal region in South Sudan, with the UN mission expressing concern over the incident and reiterating its call for parties to respect the sanctity of UN staff.
Sources confirmed to PTI that the peacekeeper injured yesterday in the firing is an Indian though no further information was available about his identity. Sources said the peacekeeper is in stable condition after sustaining minor injuries after being hit by a bullet in the head.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters at the briefing that the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) reported fresh firing outside of its compound in Malakal, in which one peacekeeper was injured. He, however, said he did not have any further information about the nationality of the peacekeeper.
"The mission is deeply concerned that despite the reassurances given by both parties such an incident occurred and reiterates its strong call on all parties to respect the sanity of UN installations and staff," Mr Dujarric said.
When asked if the Secretary-General aims to reinvigorate the peace process in the troubled nation and push for a political settlement to the conflict, Mr Dujarric said the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) continues to be in the lead in the process.
"We are supportive of that process...the violence on a daily basis, the horrendous impact on access to food that we have been flagging and the fact that more than a hundred thousand people are being sheltered in UN civilians compounds shows the immediate need for both the president and the opposition to sit around the table and put their differences aside and agree on a political settlement," Mr Dujarric said.
India is among the top contributor of troops to UNMISS. Five Indian peacekeepers, including a Lieutenant Colonel, were killed in South Sudan in April 2013 when their UN convoy was ambushed by about 200 attackers near Jonglei State.
In 2014, two Indian peacekeepers were injured in another "deadly and unprovoked" attack by a mob of armed men on civilians sheltering inside a UN base in the war-ravaged town of Bor in South Sudan.
India has in the past also voiced concern that the Council has repeatedly "violated" and "diluted" the clear provisions of Article 44 of the UN Charter, which explicitly requires the 15-nation Council to invite member states who are contributing troops but are not members of the Council, to participate in the decisions on peacekeeping and troop deployment.
India has stressed that views of the troop contributing countries should be taken into account while formulating peacekeeping mandates, the absence of which has seriously compromised the objectives of peacekeeping.
India has also repeatedly called for bringing the perpetrators of the attack on peacekeepers to swift justice to ensure soldiers and UN staff-members are not harmed while discharging their duty in hostile situations.
The attack came just a day before the UN commemorates the International Day of Peacekeepers. India is among the largest contributors of military and police personnel to UN peacekeeping and it currently deploys 8,112 military and police personnel to UN peacekeeping operations in Ivory Coast, Cyprus, Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, Lebanon, Liberia, the Middle East, Sudan, South Sudan and Western Sahara.
The attack occurred even as the Security Council adopted a resolution extending the mandate of the UN mission in the country until November 30, 2015, giving the operation authorisation to use all necessary means to protect civilians, monitor and investigate human rights, and create conditions conducive to the delivery of humanitarian assistance.
The resolution condemned in the strongest terms attacks on and threats made to UNMISS personnel and UN facilities, including repeated attacks on the Mission's camps in Bur, Bentiu, Malakal and Melut, stressing that such attacks may constitute violations of the Status of Forces Agreement and/or war crimes.
It also condemned all violations of applicable international law, especially those involving children, and reports of rampant sexual violence, and urged investigations into all allegations of human rights violations and abuses, calling for accountability for anyone responsible, with all victims of sexual violence being assured equal protection under the law and equal access to justice.
The resolution decided that the military component of the Mission would comprise up to 12,500 troops and 1,323 police, requesting the Mission to work to continue to streamline its operations and expressing its intention to keep the requirements of and composition of UNMISS components under active review.
The text also called for immediate and full implementation of two agreements by the government of South Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLM) in Opposition, expressing its intention to consider all appropriate measures against any party taking action to undermine peace, stability, and security in the country.
The Secretary-General has in the past called upon President Salva Kiir and former Vice-President Riek Machar to immediately cease all military operations and reminded them of their obligations to protect civilians under international human rights and humanitarian law.