Confusion over command and control and rules of engagement marred a response by United Nations peacekeepers to deadly violence in a UN compound in South Sudan sheltering nearly 50,000 civilians, the world body says.
During the two-day incident in Malakal in February, at least 30 civilians were killed and 123 people wounded. Aid group Medecins Sans Frontieres accused the UN peacekeeping mission, known as UNMISS, on Tuesday of taking up to 16 hours to act.
The UN says it is discussing the incident with relevant troop contributing countries, which a diplomatic source said included Rwanda, Ethiopia and India. The source said several commanders could be sent home over failures in the response.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said a preliminary UN Board of Inquiry report into the peacekeeping mission's response found "there was confusion with respect to command and control and Rules of Engagement and a lack of co-ordination among the various civilian and uniformed peacekeepers in Malakal".
A separate UN special investigation into the circumstances leading to the violence found that the immediate trigger for the fighting - which pitted Shilluk and Nuer people against Dinka and Darfuri people - was an attempt by two South Sudanese soldiers to smuggle ammunition into the UN compound.
The report concluded that some armed elements in South Sudanese (SPLA) army uniforms took part in the destruction of Nuer and Shilluk accommodations in the compound.
"As the SPLA was the only armed force operating and in control of Malakal town, it is difficult to exonerate the local SPLA commanders and government-allied militia from involvement in the incident," the report said.
UN peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous and head of field support Atul Khare will brief the Security Council on Wednesday on the Malakal incident.
