By Emily Tholen
Sudan and South Sudan have both made trouble with the United Nations (UN) over the weekend. In Sudan, a team of United Nations peacekeepers had been sent to investigate the scene of an attack that occurred in the region of Darfur. However, the group was denied entry to the local by Sudanese military forces. There has been on and off fighting or attacks in Darfur ever since the fighting first broke out in 2003, this time it was reported that ten people had been killed in the attack.
In South Sudan, UN investigator Sandra Beidas was kicked out of the country when she published (what South Sudan is calling false) reports on the poor human rights South Sudan has been showing to it's people. This is not the first time South Sudan's ethics have been questioned, including reports of wrongdoing in the army and harming its citizens. The BBC reported that, "Hilde Johnson, head of the UN mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), called the expulsion [of Beidas] a 'breach of the legal obligations of the government of the Republic of South Sudan under the charter of the United Nations'."
It will be interesting to see how or even if the UN handles these situations. From agreeing on borders, to arresting Sudan's president on war crime charges, Sudan and South Sudan have been leading the UN around for more than a few months now, not quite obeying anything it has ordered. When South Sudan kicked out Beidas direct action should have taken place by the UN, at the very least sending in another investigator or a group of investigators to check out the claims. The stopping of peacekeepers from entering Darfur should have also been dealt with immediately. People are getting killed, tortured or raped in both of these situation and the UN is just letting it happen.
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