JUBA, South Sudan, February 17, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Special Representative of the UN Secretary General (SRSG) and Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), Ms. Ellen Margrethe Løj, visited Bor today. The visit was part of an effort to obtain firsthand knowledge of the situation on the ground concerning the implementation of the Mission mandate.
During her trip, SRSG Løj attended a Medal Parade for the Second Ethiopian Battalion, and met with UN civilian and military staff. She also visited the UN compound to take stock of the living conditions of UN deployed staff, and concluded her day with a tour of the Sri Lankan military field hospital.
SRSG Løj spoke at a Parade honoring the Second Ethiopian Battalion in South Sudan. She awarded Peacekeeping Medals to the troops, and thanked them for their contribution to the success of the Mission. SRSG Løj took this opportunity to commend Ethiopia’s role as Africa’s largest troop contributing country to the UN. The Ethiopian contribution to UNMISS is more than 1,200 troops, deployed in Juba, Malakal and Bentiu.
“It is a critical part of the Mission’s mandate to protect civilians, both inside the UN camps and outside,” the SRSG stated in her speech at the Medal Parade. “Our troops must ensure safety and security beyond the camps, out in the communities. I am convinced that the Ethiopian Contingents will be in the front line in this regard,” SRSG Løj added. She called on government officials at various levels, including security and law enforcement, to facilitate the work of the Mission’s personnel by assuring their freedom of movement.
The SRSG also met with UN staff and visited their compound. She was very impressed by efforts to adjust to the current situation, and congratulated them for their commitment to the Missions mandate as they continue to protect civilians in Jonglei State including those sheltering in the Mission’s compound.
Before departing from Bor, the SRSG visited the Sri Lankan military field hospital which has treated 1,360 people since its inception in June 2014. She congratulated the Sri Lankan medical staff for their dedication.
This is the second visit of the SRSG to Bor since she took up her post on September 1, 2014. Her last visit was in September. During her previous visit, the SRSG visited the Protection of Civilians sites on Bor along with local leaders.
UNMISS opened its gates to all unarmed civilians facing an imminent threat of physical violence when the crisis erupted mi-December 2013. Some 112,000 civilians are currently protected by UNMISS on the Mission’s protection sites nationwide. Over 2,600 civilians have found safety in Bor UN Protection of Civilians site.
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