The government has accepted the inclusion of Bangladeshi and Nepalese troops as technical experts in the Regional Protection Force, the Minister of Information, Michael Makuei Lueth, has said.

The RPF is mandated to protect key installations such as the airport, facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance, and use all means to deter attacks from any armed groups.

In August last year, the UN Security Council authorized the deployment of 4000-Strong force from the region with the aim of improving security in Juba and its surroundings.

However, the UN Mission in South Sudan said in March that troops from Nepal and Bangladesh would be part of the RPF to cover capability gaps that troop-contributing countries in the region could not meet.

In an exclusive interview with Eye Radio, the minister of information, Michael Makuei said that the government was concern about the origin of these troops since their countries are not part of the region.

“So our concern, if it called the regional protection, are these forces regional? They are not even African. So our concern was why bring them. And the answer was that, yes we are bringing them because these are technical expertise probably who have the experience which is lacked by the region,” said Makuei.

The minister says that the government has now agreed to the UN’s explanation that the Nepalese and Bangladeshis would be technocrats for the RPF.

“If they are coming in as technocrats, then there is no problem. These are the force; parts on them have now arrived in form of engineers who are coming to construct the residence of the RPF,” Makuei said.

The first elements of the Regional Protection Force started arriving in Juba last month.

UNMISS said an advance team of a Construction Engineering Company from Bangladesh brought essential equipment to begin the preparation of accommodation and working areas for the force.