The Undersecretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations is expected to present to the Security Council today a confidential assessment on challenges affecting UNMISS and the deployment of a Regional Protection Force in South Sudan.

Hervé Ladsous will brief the members on his second monthly review on what delays the setting up of the force.

He is also expected to provide detailed information on challenges facing UNMISS in carrying out its mandate in the country.

The report by Mr Ladsous will highlight the future requirements of the Regional Protection Force.  This is according to ‘What’s in Blue’, a website that gives insights of the work of the UN Security Council.

Over the last two months, UNMISS has issued many reports raising concerns over killing of civilians and restriction of its movements into areas affected by the conflicts.

The UN says such restrictions on humanitarian access and the freedom of movement of UNMISS have continued, despite government’s commitment to remove such restrictions.

The assessment report of Mr Ladsous this afternoon is in accordance with the Council’s resolution 2304, which authorized deployment of a Regional Protection Force.

The force is mandated to protect key installations such as the Juba airport, use all necessary means to protect civilians, and to facilitate movement of UN personnel, humanitarian actors or civilians in and around Juba.

The resolution stipulates that the Council will consider “appropriate measures” if the Secretary-General reports that the government is not cooperating with the force or obstructs UNMISS from doing its roles.

These measures include an arms embargo and additional targeted sanctions such as assets freezes and travel bans.

The meeting at which Mr Ladsous will present his report is expected to focus on Ban ki-Moon’s second confidential monthly assessment, covering the period between September and October.