Category: Politics

UN appoints Indian as mission commander for S. Sudan

The United Nations Secretary-General has appointed General Mohan Subramanian of India as the new force commander of the UN Mission in South Sudan.

António Guterres announced the appointment of Lieutenant General Mohan Tuesday.

He succeeds Lieutenant General Shailesh Tinaikar of India to whom the Secretary-General said he is grateful for his tireless dedication, invaluable service and effective leadership as UNMISS Force Commander.

The new commander, Mohan has a distinguished military career with the Indian Army spanning over 36 years.

According to the UN, Mohan served as the General Officer Commanding, Military Region, Operational and Logistic Readiness Zone in central India, contributing to the Army’s operational and logistic preparedness.

Previously, he served as the Additional Director General for Procurement and Equipment Management at the Integrated Headquarters of the Ministry of Defence from 2019 to 2021, General Officer Commanding a Strike Infantry Division from 2018 to 2019.

Mohan also served as the Deputy General Officer Commanding of Infantry Division from 2015 to 2016 and Commander of a Mountain Brigade from 2013 to 2014.

He also held positions of India’s Defence Attaché to Viet Nam, Laos and Cambodia from 2008 to 2012 and Staff Officer with the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone in 2000.

Lieutenant General Mohan holds two Masters of Philosophy degrees in defense and management studies as well as Social Sciences.

As of 2019, India was the second highest troop contributing country to UNMISS with 2,337 Indian peacekeepers, second to Rwanda with 2,750.

Reports indicate that India is the fourth largest contributor of uniformed personnel to the UN peacekeeping missions, and currently contributes thousands of military and police personnel to the UN peace operations in Abyei, other parts of South Sudan, Cyprus, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, Lebanon, the Middle East, and the Western Sahara.

In March this year, the United Nations Security Council extended and strengthened its peacekeeping mission in South Sudan for another year.

The UNMISS mandate was renewed after 13 of the 15 Security Council members voted in its favor with China and Russia abstaining.

US cuts support to S. Sudan peace process, reveals IGAD

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development leaders are calling on the US government to reconsider its decision to scale down support to the South Sudan peace process.

The regional leaders revealed this in a joint communique following an extra-ordinary meeting in Nairobi, Kenya yesterday.

The conference attended by the heads of state of Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia and Djibouti was Chaired by General Abdel Fattah Burhan, the Chairman of the Transitional Sovereign Council of the Republic of Sudan

Yoweri Museveni of Uganda was represented by his Defense Minister, Vincent Bamumlakangi Ssempijja while Salva Kiir of South Sudan was represented by Vice President Doctor James Wani Igga.

According to the IGAD leaders, the US withdrawal to support South Sudan is crippling the work of critical agreement mechanisms.

The mechanisms they cited include the Revitalized Transitional Monitoring and Evaluation Commission, R-JMEC and the Ceasefire Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring Mechanism, CTSAM-VM; as well as agencies they said are supporting delivery of much-need humanitarian assistance in South Sudan.

The call comes nearly six months after the office of President Kiir appealed to the Joe Biden Administration to support the Unity government in its quest for lasting peace.

According to the press secretary in the Office of the President, Ateny Wek Ateny, the government required support of the American people to hold free, fair, timely and peaceful elections.

The US has already sanctioned senior government officials in South Sudan for their role in corruption, fuelling conflict and obstructing peace process in the country.

According to the revitalized peace agreement, the government shall increase partnership, coordination and mutual accountability with development and humanitarian partners to ensure policies, strategies, programs and projects, and action plans are developed through participatory and transparent mutual consent and accountability.

It mandates the Ministry of Finance and Planning to ensure that all public financial and budgetary commitments entered into by the new unity government are transparent, competitive and per the laws of the country and internationally accepted norms and practices for the management of public finances.

The agreement expects a review and implementation of a strategic national development plan to accelerate progress in achieving a sustainable and resilient national economy in collaboration with development partners.

The revitalized peace agreement stipulates that the unity government shall reform South Sudan’s existing economic and public sector financial management institutions.

These include ensuring that public financial management of oil and non-oil revenues, the exchange rate, budgetary processes, procurement, management of payroll, public concessions, borrowing, debt and regulatory agencies are effective, transparent and accountable, free from corruption.

It demands the proper allocation and use of resources for the benefit of the people of South Sudan.

Despite the odds, the US government through the USAID still remains the biggest humanitarian and developmental donor in South Sudan.

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