UN okays Juba troop deployment as South Sudan objects

The United Nations Security Council has authorised a 4,000-strong regional protection force for South Sudan’s capital, Juba.

These African troops will have a more robust mandate than the 12,000 UN soldiers already in the country, BBC reported.

South Sudan’s government has said it opposes the move, despite the UN resolution threatening an arms embargo if it blocks the new deployment.

Fighting between rival forces in July left hundreds of people dead less than year after a peace deal was signed.

The UN force struggled to keep civilians safe as more than 35,000 people rushed to its base in Juba.

More than 100,000 South Sudanese have now fled to neighbouring countries in the wake of the latest unrest, the UN refugee agency says.

Unlike the peacekeeping force in place, the African force, which will be under the auspices of the UN mission, will be able pro-actively to engage those threatening civilians.

But it is not clear how the mission will be able to go ahead without South Sudan’s co-operation.

The US-drafted resolution says it will “use all necessary means, including undertaking robust action where necessary, and actively” patrol to enforce peace.