YouSaid · the spoken record

Lieutenant General Kamanzi

lines on the record: 26
first: 2018-05-09
most recent: 2018-05-09
sittings or episodes: 1
sources: un-security-council

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“But, again, it is important that everyone contribute - starting from the political to the tactical, security and protective environment that is required for the achievement of the different mandates that we have been given. The mandates are clear, workable and achievable so long as everybody makes their contribution. On that note, I want to thank everyone and express my gratitude for the opportunity to express our ideas, as well as to appreciate and ask once again for the Council's support as we carry out our mandate and our responsibilities. The meeting rose at 6.15 pm.”
2018-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8251 (2018) · source
“That is the responsibility of everyone, including - or starting from - the Security Council, the United Nations Headquarters, regional actors and, most important, the parties to the conflict. For their part, missions are responsible for the tasks that create an environment that is going to help enable the actors or the parties to the conflict to achieve a political settlement. Therefore, all of us have a role to play. For a mission to be achieved, or for a mandate to be achieved, everybody has a role. But, as underlined again by one of my colleagues, it is us - the missions - who are in the tactical position or environment that requires action, especially in terms of protecting civilians who are vulnerable. Creating that important environment for political discussions and engagement is therefore an important responsibility.”
2018-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8251 (2018) · source
“As such, the employment and deployment of the RPF and its enablers is improving the situation in Juba. The Force is carrying out the currently required tasks and is also helping to make a difference outside of Juba. As I said, we would like to receive combat engineers, who are supposed to be a component of the RPF, as well as tactical helicopters, which would enable us to project and protect our forces and improve the chances of the Mission achieving its mandate. In conclusion, I would like to return to the question asked by the representative of Equatorial Guinea on whose responsibility it is to achieve mission mandates. It is the responsibility of everyone, because the primacy of a political solution has been underlined.”
2018-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8251 (2018) · source
“In addition to making a difference and carrying out its originally mandated tasks in Juba, the RPF has also been able to intervene and make a difference, where required, together with UNMISS forces. In that regard, I also mentioned in my briefing that we had taken advantage of the deployment of the RPF and its induction into the Mission to move UNMISS forces that were originally elsewhere to the south of the country by first reinforcing company operating bases, so that we can improve security and outreach and also open new bases, particularly in Yei, where I mentioned the impact of improved security and access. It is the same engineers and enablers ofthe RPF who are helping to build bases and open roads, which are generally supporting the Mission.”
2018-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8251 (2018) · source
“The representative of Sweden also asked about the flexibility and employment of brigade unit intervention, such as the Regional Protection Force and, if I am correct, the Force Intervention Brigade of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. With regard to UNMISS and the Regional Protection Force in particular, when the RPF was conceived, in 2016, it was mandated with carrying out specific tasks in Juba. However, since 2016 the situation in Juba has changed, and requirements and changes have arisen in other parts of the country, leading to demands on the Mission. As such, our current mandate includes some flexibility.”
2018-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8251 (2018) · source
“However, I wish to recognize the contribution from Headquarters and troop-contributing countries. I think that, in response to our meeting last year on 7 July in New York, where Chiefs of Defence pledged to make a difference and increase the numbers of female personnel, we have seen a slight increase of both female officers and female members of contingents in the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). I would like to commend Headquarters and troop-contributing countries, and I urge for such progress to be continued; we cannot over- emphasize the importance of the contribution of the female members of our contingents.”
2018-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8251 (2018) · source
“In instances where we unfortunately receive allegations of sexual exploitation or abuse, action is swiftly taken to initiate thorough investigations and collective measures by both the Mission and, where required, national investigators, who receive our full support and cooperation so that we are able to get to the bottom of allegations and take corrective measures. Those are some of the mechanisms in place, which we are working on and continuously improving to ensure that the policy is adhered to. There was a question about further increasing the number of female members among our contingents. That is primarily the responsibility of the troop- contributing countries, as we employ and deploy the human resources that we receive. We appreciate that some troop-contributing countries have yet to achieve the quotas and numbers required.”
2018-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8251 (2018) · source
“I would first say that, as a mission, we are committed to implementing the Secretary-General's zero-tolerance policy on sexual exploitation and abuse. For the peacekeeping force, that translates into critical and serious command responsibility, because it also constitutes a protection issue. We cannot allow our forces to abuse or disrespect the people whom we are charged to protect. It is therefore, first and foremost, command responsibility to ensure that policy is implemented. As a mission, we have also been able to undertake risk assessments of all the positions and areas of operation of our troops. Moreover, we have created an environment in which information is easy to access and transmit, which bolsters prevention.”
2018-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8251 (2018) · source
“That is happening in places where I indicated that, after inducting the initial elements of the RPF, we will be able to send out troops from Juba and deploy them in the Equitorias so that we improve access as well as security. That has been done to the extent that some people are already coming back from Uganda, where they had fled to refugee camps. Some have come back, not necessarily to permanently settle, but to see what they can do in the areas they left. That should improve as we receive more troops who are transitioning from static functions to deployment in areas where people were displaced or fled from during the conflict. I will quickly address some specific questions, starting with the question from the representative of the United Kingdom on sexual exploitation and abuse.”
2018-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8251 (2018) · source
“Information, specifically peacekeeping intelligence, is critical to proper planning and the utilization of the resources at our disposal. Once we have information, we are able to prioritize and employ our resources appropriately and, in doing so, become efficient and protect our troops and those whom we are charged with protecting. I made reference to looking into the use of surveillance and other technologies to help us efficiently manage the protection-of-civilian sites and allow us to get more troops into other areas, thereby enabling us to create a better environment for the return of those in the protection sites and a more secure environment for the return of those who fled the country.”
2018-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8251 (2018) · source
“I made reference to the fact that we have not reached the ceiling in the number of troops and enablers that the Council has made available to us. For example, the Regional Protection Force (RPF), whose various components are supposed to be at a strength of 4,000 personnel, has stood at slightly over 50 per cent inducted since 2016. Even then, critical enablers such as tactical helicopters and combat engineering elements, which are supposed to help protect and improve our security, are not with us yet. It is therefore important that, while we understand and are ready, we need to be supported and given the resources, especially those that are within our ceiling. We have talked about intelligence and information as important components for being able to do our work.”
2018-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8251 (2018) · source
“In particular, we are talking about support to the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring Mechanism (CTSAMM), which is supposed to monitor and follow up on violations, which in the end helps the force to move the peace process forward. What I am saying here is that, in the achievement of our mandate, the military component makes its contribution and, in our case, if the question is whether or not we have an understandable and implementable mandate and whether the military component understands us and is ready to make its contribution, the answer is yes. But, for that to happen, we need to address some of the challenges such as those I made reference to previously, which include having the numbers mandated.”
2018-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8251 (2018) · source
“The contribution of the military component, for the most part, is protecting civilians but also - most important - as an enabler and a platform if we want the other components to achieve or make their contribution. In that regard, I mean being able to protect and facilitate access - for example in human rights, political affairs and other components - so that they can do their work in the various places. We have the responsibility of ensuring the access of humanitarian actors and delivery of humanitarian aid for the recipients. We have the responsibility of supporting the peace process and the peace agreement.”
2018-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8251 (2018) · source
“Lieutenant General Kamanzi: Like my colleagues, I would like to first make some general comments, beginning with the issue of mandate implementation, or the ability to achieve a mandate. The achievement of a mission mandate is indeed a whole-of-mission task comprising all the components that constitute the mission: the civilian component and, most important, the civilian leadership, and uniformed components, namely, the police component, which, in our case, is also composed of formed police units and individual police officers, as well as the military component. For us to achieve our mission, all the components need to make their contribution.”
2018-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8251 (2018) · source
“For our part, we continue to work to deter violence against civilians through proactive deployment, while working closely with humanitarian actors, monitoring and investigating human rights abuses and working with all stakeholders to build durable peace. At the same time, we are working to improve the organization, capabilities and employment of the force, along with the required enablers in order to effectively support the Mission mandate and protect our force. We are grateful for, and continue to count on, the Council's support.”
2018-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8251 (2018) · source
“In addition to enabling us to deploy more forces in the strategically important Equatorias, the deployment of the first elements of the RPF allows us to provide more security in Juba, protect civilians and assist other United Nations agencies and partners. We also work closely with the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring Mechanism to enable it to monitor ceasefire violations and to understand what transitional security arrangements may be necessary in future. In conclusion, encouraging all parties to reach a political solution is imperative. That will in turn improve the Mission's prospects of achieving its mandate.”
2018-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8251 (2018) · source
“A review of each of our operating bases and protection-of-civilian sites has been completed and action points, including the maintenance of perimeter fencing, security lighting and the provision of closed-circuit security systems, are now being addressed. We are undertaking a detailed review of casualty evacuation procedures and have established a force-protection advisory team, whose responsibilities include identifying risks to the force and sharing best practices to mitigate them. Resolution 2406 (2018) authorizes a troop ceiling of 17,000 peacekeepers, which includes the Regional Protection Force. We currently have more than 13,700 personnel; we expect the remainder of the Ethiopian battalion of the Regional Protection Force to arrive next month, bringing us closer to 15,000 personnel.”
2018-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8251 (2018) · source
“Employing patience, good communications with all parties and a robust posture are therefore important to our approach. Our patrols have demonstrated unwillingness to be turned back or otherwise inhibited, even if we have to negotiate for several hours or escalate the issue for resolution at headquarters level before proceeding with our work. We also endeavour to be agile and proactive, where necessary positioning troops where we believe conflict might break out. That has often calmed situations and lessened or prevented violence. We continue to improve the security and performance of our force peacekeepers.”
2018-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8251 (2018) · source
“Sometimes those tactics are employed by Government forces as well as by opposition parties to try to prevent us from gaining access to areas where fighting is taking place. At other times the fragmentation of opposition groups leads to commanders acting independently and not effectively responding to orders or direction from their higher headquarters. In other cases criminals and opportunistic armed groups have inhibited the work of humanitarian actors, at times detaining them for several days in order to demonstrate that they control particular areas. Maintaining a relationship with the Government and opposition groups is vital, while realizing that all parties are responsible for violating the cessation of hostilities agreement and the associated destruction and atrocities against civilians.”
2018-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8251 (2018) · source
“To address those issues and challenges, we are taking the opportunity afforded by the recent induction of the first elements of the Regional Protection Force (RPF) into the Mission, by reinforcing our operating bases in Yambio and Torit and establishing a new one in Yei, in the south of the country. At the same time, UNMISS military engineers have been repairing roads and operating in remote locations to enable us to be more flexible when responding to new requests for assistance. Those operations also improve security along the main supply routes that link the seaport at Mombasa to South Sudan through Kenya and Uganda. In the course of carrying out our mandate, we face obstruction, access denials and violations of the status of forces agreement.”
2018-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8251 (2018) · source
“Our ability to be mobile for nearly half of the year is therefore highly constrained. As a result, we have had to disperse forces in order to maximize our ability to reach out to and support humanitarian actors. To achieve that, we operate from 17 bases, seven of which are occupied by a single company, each with a maximum of 150 troops. Our forces must travel more than several hundred kilometres between bases, along single-track roads or by the limited number of helicopters we have. That presents additional challenges for resupply and force security.”
2018-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8251 (2018) · source
“While that population is a small fraction of the estimated 1.69 million internally displaced persons within South Sudan, it requires more than 40 per cent of the force to accomplish that task. We are therefore working to free up more forces for mobile and outreach operations by introducing surveillance systems and other technologies to enable the protection of those sites with fewer troops and to improve our operational efficiency. More mobile operations will provide an increased security presence and create the confidence that allows people to return to their homes from protection-of-civilian sites and neighbouring countries. The terrain and climatic conditions in South Sudan are particularly demanding. During the rainy season, from May to October, most of the unsealed roads that link states and major population centres are impassable.”
2018-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8251 (2018) · source
“However, opposition groups continue to operate in several outlying areas, in particular in the north, east and south near international borders, where they enjoy support and seek to retain control or gain tactical advantage. The protection of civilians remains our priority. We continue to provide physical protection to more than 209,000 internally displaced persons, United Nations agencies and other humanitarian actors who live and work Within the five protection-of-civilian sites throughout the country. In addition, our presence in Bung reassures and supports the 15 humanitarian agencies that assist 13,000 refugees at the refugee site and the 11 humanitarian agencies that work with 54,000 refugees at the Jamjang refugee sites in Upper Nile and Unity states, respectively.”
2018-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8251 (2018) · source
“However, fighting among the SPLA, the SPLA-in Opposition affiliated with Riek Machar, the SPLA-in Opposition affiliated with General Tabang Deng, and other armed groups has continued in violation of the Ceasefire Agreement. The fighting often increases each time we approach another round of talks as parties jostle for prominence, as we are currently witnessing. The security and operational environment in South Sudan has become increasingly complex. We have moved from a conflict that involves only two parties to one in which the Transitional Government of National Unity has the upper hand but faces political and military opposition from multiple actors. The Government has increasingly gained control in central states, the capital, Juba, and in other population centres.”
2018-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8251 (2018) · source
“The Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan, signed on 17 August 2015, collapsed in July 2016, and the conflict resumed. Since then, fighting has spread to other parts of the country, including the Equatorias, a critical food- growing area, where a multitude of new actors are currently involved. At the same time, long-standing communal conflicts, fuelled by competition for land and water resources, have persisted and, in most cases, have became more violent and destructive due to the widespread availability of automatic weapons. The Intergovernmental Authority on Development- led process known as the High-level Revitalization Forum resulted in the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement on 21 December2017.”
2018-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8251 (2018) · source
“Lieutenant General Kamanzi: Like my colleagues, I have been asked to provide a perspective on the impact of the changing security and operational environment on United Nations missions and mandates. I would like to start by reviewing the evolution of the conflict in South Sudan. I will then talk about the operating environment and associated challenges, drawing on our experience, before then turning to how we are addressing those challenges in the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). The start of the conflict in December 2013 was due to a split of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) and the formation of the SPLA-in Opposition. At that time, fighting mostly took place in the Upper Nile, Jonglei and Unity states.”
2018-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8251 (2018) · source