South Sudan / Deputy SRSG Soumaré Visits Malakal

JUBA, South Sudan, April 14, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (DSRSG) for South Sudan (Political) Moustapha Soumaré visited Malakal today on his first trip to an UNMISS state office since he took up his duties with the Mission on 30 March.

Mr. Soumaré met with the Upper Nile State governor Simon Kun Puoch and visited a number of locations in Malakal Town including the city's main market, the teaching hospital and the Mission's recently established forward operating bases.

The DSRSG was briefed on the security and humanitarian situation in Upper Nile State by senior UNMISS officials, the head of the Malakal office of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and staff members of other UN agencies operating in the state.

Mr. Soumaré also met with community leaders of the approximately 26,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) who are being sheltered by UNMISS and toured the Mission's two protection sites as well as an extension site currently under construction to relieve overcrowding at the existing facilities for IDPs.

“I came to Malakal to get a first-hand look at our protection sites and introduce myself to the governor and our UNMISS colleagues based there,” he said. “The recent fighting between youths from the Dinka and Shilluk communities triggered an influx of over 4,000 new IDPs into our protection sites in Malakal two weeks ago, and I was impressed by the progress made in the building of the new extension that will host these recently arrived civilians as well as IDPs who have been under our protection for many months.”

The DSRSG hosted a town hall meeting with UNMISS staff to acquaint himself with the working and living conditions facing colleagues in Malakal and elsewhere in Upper Nile State.