The UN Security Council has endorsed the deployment of an additional 4,000-strong peacekeeping force in South Sudan.
This comes after recent deadly clashes between the SPLA and Opposition forces under the former first vice prsident Dr Riek Machar.
According to the UN and political analysts, the July fighting threatened to send the country back to all-out civil war.
The members of the council backed the US-drafted resolution on Friday with 11 votes and four abstentions.
As early as of next week, an “assessment team” would head to South Sudan to start the arrangement for the creation of the “protection force”, Al Jazeera reported.
Dr Machar, who is also the SPLM-IO leader, fled during the fighting and said he would return only when regional peacekeepers secured the capital.
The protection force – to be made up of African troops – will “use all necessary means, including undertaking robust action where necessary and actively patrolling” to enforce peace in Juba and protect the airport and other key facilities, the Reuters reported.
The force would also “promptly and effectively engage any actor that is credibly found to be preparing attacks, or engages in attacks” against U.N. sites, aid workers or civilians. It could confront South Sudanese government troops if needed.
The Resolution stipulates that the council will consider imposing arms embargo if UN chief Ban Ki-moon reports that the government is obstructing deployment of the protection force or the work of the UN mission.
However, the government of South Sudan had rejected the U.S. proposal to the U.N. for sending 4,000 strong foreign force. It also rejected any attempt to impose arms embargo on the country.
“We are not going to ‘cooperate’ on that because we will not allow our country to be taken over by U.N.,” Ateny Wek Ateny told Reuters. “Any force that will be called Juba Protection force will not be accepted.”