The Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), Edmund Yakani, has issued a strong statement calling on South Sudanese in the diaspora to stop spreading misinformation about the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS),
Emphasizing the critical role the peacekeeping mission plays in maintaining peace and protecting civilians, he said “Some South Sudanese, abroad, are publishing misinformation, disinformation and hostile propaganda about the role of United Nations Mission in South Sudan known as UNMISS.”
Such narratives, Yakani said, are based on a lack of accurate information and the failure to recognize the mission’s visible impact on the ground.
“I would like to confess to South Sudanese that if it was not because of UNMISS, safety and protection of civilians would have been at risk. UNMISS is doing a tremendous work around protection of civilians, reduction of intercommunal violence, respect and enforcement of rule of law,” he added.
UNMISS’s crucial role in supporting dialogue between communities and security forces, he said, has contributed significantly to reducing tensions and preventing violence.
“We have seen how UNMISS is helping in creating a space for civilians and military to dialogue. Now we have seen people saying UNMISS is doing nothing because they are not informed,” Yakani stated.
He urged critics, especially those outside the country, to base their opinions on facts and verifiable information, not assumptions or politically motivated narratives.
“It’s better for you to seek clarity of your doubt,” he concluded, encouraging open engagement and honest assessment of UNMISS’s work instead of spreading divisive or misleading messages.
Yakani’s remarks serve as a reminder of the importance of informed discourse, particularly in a fragile context where the role of international partners is often a matter of life and death for vulnerable communities.
