UN urges release of 6 staff members detained in Sudan

[News_Editor]

UN urges release of 6 staff members detained in Sudan

2011-06-23 21:35:16 GMT+7 (ICT)

UNITED NATIONS (BNO NEWS) -- The United Nations (UN) on Thursday condemned the arrest of six of its national staff members by the Sudanese Government on Wednesday, urging that they be released immediately.

The six members of UN's national staff from its Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) were preparing to depart from the airport in Kadugli, the main town in Southern Kordofan, in order to relocate to Wau, as the peacekeeping mission tries to keep safe from the fighting that has erupted in the area.

Violent clashes have been spreading throughout the region between the northern army known as the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Sudan People's Liberation Army of Southern Sudan.

UNMIS noted that, in accordance with the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) signed by the Sudanese Government and the Mission, the Government is obliged to present the head of the Mission with evidence prior to taking any legal action against any UNMIS staff member, national or international, including arresting them.

"UNMIS is very concerned about the safety and security of its staff members and requests their immediate release until evidence of any illegal activities is presented by the local authorities to UNMIS," the Mission stated.

Last week, four peacekeepers were also detained temporarily, where they were physically abused. Following Wednesday's arrest of national staff members, the UN underlined that these actions constitute "clear and disturbing" violations of the SOFA.

"UNMIS calls on the parties to respect the SOFA, and uphold their commitment to protect civilians and ensure the freedom of movement for all UN staff, regardless of their origin, or ethnic and political affiliations," the mission added.

On June 5, fresh clashes broke out in Southern Kordofan, displacing an estimated 73,000 people, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Senior UN officials have repeatedly called for an end to insecurity and movement restrictions, which are continuing to limit the ability of humanitarian personnel to assess the situation and to provide urgently needed assistance to those affected, as well as to the threats to aid workers and peacekeepers in the area.

The latest fighting comes as the semi-autonomous region of Southern Sudan prepares to become an independent State on July 9, after a referendum held at the start of this year in accordance with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement that ended the long-running north-south civil war.

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