UN to investigate peacekeepers' response to South Sudan hotel attack

Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General, has launched an independent special investigation committee to look into the peacekeepers' response to the Hotel Terrain attack on July 11 in South Sudan.

The attack was during an outbreak of fighting between troops loyal to President Salva Kiir and those backing former Vice President Riek Machar.

He said on Wednesday in New York that the committee is to determine the circumstances surrounding the accusations that the peacekeepers failed to respond properly to an attack on the hotel by uniformed men who killed a journalist and raped several civilians.

Ban said that the committee would also evaluate the overall response by the UN peacekeeping mission.
The secretary-general express concerned about allegations that the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) did not respond appropriately to prevent the attack.

He also condemned other grave cases of sexual violence committed in Juba.

Ban urged the government to investigate all human rights violations and prosecute those responsible.

Samantha Power, U.S. Ambassador to the UN, also expressed deep concerned that UN peacekeepers were apparently either incapable of or unwilling to respond to calls for help.

She noted that the U.S. embassy in South Sudan responded to distress calls from the compound and urgently contacted South Sudanese government officials, who sent a response force to the site to stop the attack.