President Salva Kiir has reiterated his government’s position rejecting the deployment of any foreign force into the country.

He says those who are calling for sending extra troops to South Sudan are making business, and warned that anybody who muddles into the affairs of the country will not be allowed to go without being “touched”.

The President accused the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission, JMEC, which is led by the former President of Botswana, Festus Mogae, of writing what he calls “bad reports” about South Sudan.

President Kiir was speaking during a reception ceremony for the new First Vice President, Taban Deng Gai, in Juba on Saturday. Kiir’s speech was broadcast on the South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation on Sunday night.

“Now these whites [foreigners] are saying they want to bring a protection force; to protect who?” Said President Kiir.

“This person of JMEC who went and gave bad reports about us says we are vulnerable and we need protection. And also this woman of UNMISS [The Special Representative of the Secretary-General in South Sudan] needs protection. Protection from what?

“Of course this has become a business. People want the kind of work that will enable them to continue to receive money.

“For us, we don’t do anything bad to anybody, but if somebody has interfered into our right, I don’t think we will allow them to go without us touching them.”

Vice President James Wani Igga, who spoke at the same occasion, described the decision of the UN Security Council authorizing the deployment of extra troops to South Sudan as a “tsunami”.

“You [people of South Sudan] need to stand strong behind your leadership in the SPLM and your leadership in the government, because this is the time of temptation and we must walk together.”

Last Friday, the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution authorizing the deployment of 4,000-strong regional force to South Sudan’s capital, Juba.