Senior South Sudanese Minister Affirms Country's Commitment To Regional Protection Force

A Senior South Sudanese Minister said on Thursday that his government would not go back on commitments to allow the deployment of a Regional Protection Force.

The Acting Head of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), Mustapha Soumaré, met the Minister for Cabinet Affairs, Martin Lumoro, and requested clarification on several press reports indicating that the South Sudanese government was backtracking over the force.

The 4,000-strong deployment mandated by the UN Security Council is designed to bolster the existing UN peacekeeping force to help restore order after intense fighting broke out last July between rival forces around the capital Juba.

"The Minister confirmed to Mr Soumaré that the government's position on the subject remained unchanged, and that in line with the relevant Security Council resolutions the government would continue to facilitate the deployment of the regional force." UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric.

SOURCE: UN Radio