Over five local staff employed as security guards by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan allege they have been beaten and injured by Rwandan peacekeepers.

The employees who spoke to Eye Radio claimed that they were ordered by the soldiers to leave the mission’s compound, because their contract had ended.

On Monday, the staff wrote a petition to the Ministry of Interior, urging the government to intervene.

Malish Richard, who is nursing a wound, described to Eye Radio how he was beaten:

“We’re on a morning shift, coming to change the night shift, three Rwandan Defend Force soldiers immediately attacked me…..they hit me with the gun on my chase and at my back twice. From there, he immediately hit my arm with a bayonet….immediately, I called the police.”

Another victim, Otto Ben, also described his ordeal:

“I… was seriously injured in my stomach……they hit it with a barrel of the gun and I have another one at the back. If you look at my hand, this one was also pricked. According to the allegation, I heard that we wanted to hijack guns from the Rwandan soldiers…I have not been trained. I‘ve never held a gun with my hand. How can I hijack gun from a soldier who is trained?”

However, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations in South Sudan denied the claims.

“That is not true, it is not correct. Actually we have unfortunately seen a confrontational behavior by a few individual contractors; this led to a situation, which could have been very, very serious for the mission. The Rwandan soldiers did a very, very good job in controlling the situation, in containing the situation….,” Ms. Johnson told Eye Radio.

“There were no injuries performed by Rwandan soldiers.

“There was one engagement and that was because a Rwandan soldier was approached by an individual contractor and he tried to take his weapon away from him. There was absolutely no one injured.”

Madam Johnson also said that all the South Sudanese who have been working as guards in the mission will secure their jobs based on their previous performances.

She said the process of transition from UNMISS Security to the private company is taking place this week, and said that the new company will provide much better contracts for the individuals, because they will be entitled to leave and health insurance for their families.