Originally published on the CGS blog on June 9, 2014.
The United Nations is now warning of a potential famine in South Sudan. Though South Sudan had agreed to ceasefires in January and again in early May, they did not last. The UN had to act quickly because with the surges of violence, there has been an increase in secondary deaths due to starvation and disease. The conflict has heavily interrupted the crop-growing season by displacing farmers, and the UN estimates that if the violence does not stop, famine will ensue.
On May 27th the UN Security Council passed Resolution 2155, which renews the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), but makes some important amendments. From this resolution, a civilian protection mandate was added to address the growing humanitarian and security needs. This stems from un-subsiding violence that broke out in December when President Salva Kiir fired his rival Riek Machar from the deputy president position. This event fueled underlying ethnic tensions between the Dinka who support Kiir and the Nuer who support Machar.
This action of civilian protection from the UN is a huge step in the right direction with regards to UN involvement in conflicts. The UN has a record of not taking appropriate action quickly enough, most notably in Rwanda in 1994; hopefully this is a sign of changes to come.
This civilian protection mandate will encompass many things as the country tries to stabilize itself. It will allow for UN troops to disarm civilians, monitor and investigate human rights violations, create conditions for humanitarian assistance delivery, and support the implementation of the cessation of hostilities agreement.
This mandate change does not come without implications, however. By switching the main goal to civilian protection, the UN is taking focus off of capacity and nation building. In a country as new as South Sudan, one of the most important issues that needs to be addressed is the rule of law and the strength of its institutions. In order for a country to succeed, there needs to be an effective force behind new laws, and a quick and efficient way to deal with crime and corruption.
While ending the violence absolutely is the most important immediate goal, capacity building cannot be forgotten. Even the government of South Sudan is worried about what might happen without efforts to build an efficient government. South Sudan’s Ambassador Francis Mading Deng said recently that he was disappointed in the UN’s actions and its “failure to help build a functioning state,” which he claims could lead to serious problems that the United Nations and the international community might be required to address in the future.
If South Sudan’s own government is worried that they won’t be able to function properly if the UNMISS expires in November, then the international community should definitely keep it on the radar. We have learned from other new countries such as Kosovo that without the rule of law, corruption runs rampant. Kosovo still does not have full autonomy in its police force because of lasting corruption in the sector that is supposed to maintain order and fairness.
This does not diminish the importance of Resolution 2155. The UN has made the correct call to promote security and human rights in a new and unstable country. But let’s hope that the foundation for long-term stability in South Sudan is not forgotten in the mayhem of short-term relief.
