In July, armed United Nations peacekeepers stood by in South Sudan\u2019s capital while women were raped mere meters away. They retreated from their positions, abandoning the civilians they were sent to protect. This week, the Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon responded to these findings by firing\u00a0the commander of the UN peacekeeping forces in South Sudan at the time.<\/p>\n
Ban\u2019s decision follows the release of a new independent\u00a0inquiry, which\u00a0paints a disturbing picture of the UN\u2019s response to\u00a0violent\u00a0clashes\u00a0in which scores of civilians\u00a0were killed in\u00a0the capital\u00a0Juba\u00a0in July.\u00a0More than 200\u00a0women \u2013 including expatriate\u00a0aid\u00a0workers\u00a0\u2013\u00a0were\u00a0raped\u00a0and gang raped\u00a0during and after the\u00a0attacks.\u00a0Two peacekeepers were killed by shells fired near the base. Throughout the mayhem, UN forces did little to respond and help those in danger, despite\u00a0a clear mandate allowing them to use lethal force to protect civilians.<\/p>\n
United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) peacekeepers need to leave their bases and armoured vehicles to better identify threats to civilian lives and prevent rapes on their doorstep. The mission also needs to make the most out of its civilian component to improve its early warning capacities and political engagement with the parties on the ground. The UN needs to learn from its past mistakes, reassert itself and bring the protection of civilians front and center.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"