Protection of Civilians sites: Lessons from South Sudan for future operations

"Throughout the history of United Nations (UN) peacekeeping, civilians have sought protection with the UN during times of crisis. From the “safe areas” in Bosnia, to the “protected sites” in Rwanda, to the “protection of civilians sites” (POC sites) in South Sudan today, this trend has continued to develop and evolve over recent decades. In April 2015, the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) released a Policy on the Protection of Civilians in United Nations Peacekeeping, which for the first time stated that as a measure of last resort in in extremis situations, UN missions must be prepared to open their gates to protect civilians. The precedent set in South Sudan, combined with the inclusion of this language in the global DPKO policy, means that there is a potential that such sites could emerge in future crises. In this context, it is imperative to learn from past experiences, particularly the ongoing response in the POC sites in South Sudan. The objective of this publication is to examine the unique operational challenges and dilemmas associated with the POC site model, with the aim of drawing out lessons from South Sudan to help to inform future POC site responses. The publication begins by looking at the history of protected sites, from Bosnia and Rwanda in the 1990s, to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Sudan in the 2000s, to South Sudan today. History shows that many of the peacekeeping missions charged with protecting such sites have encountered similar challenges – most notably, crippling resource and personnel constraints, and mandates that were not ft for purpose. Many missions were faced with the impossible task of having to protect sites without the means necessary to do so, which subsequent investigations found at times led to cases of peacekeepers potentially doing more harm than good. The publication goes on to look at POC sites as we know them today, and argues that POC sites can be distinguished from traditional internally displaced person (IDP) camps in four main areas: the legal status of the sites and protection offered therein, how the sites are administered, the intended purpose of the sites, and the freedom of movement associated with them. Recognizing that South Sudan is the first country to see long-term IDP camps emerge inside UN bases, the publication considers why POC sites may emerge in some countries but not others, and asks whether the presence of certain characteristics could make it possible to predict where a POC site might appear in the future. Experiences from South Sudan show that the overlapping humanitarian and peacekeeping spaces inside POC sites can pose unique challenges with regard to coordination. Having clearly delineated roles and responsibilities between humanitarian and peacekeeping actors is essential, as is the need to conduct joint, realistic planning based on most-likely and worst-case scenarios. Likewise, despite the challenges in doing so, maintaining distinction where possible is central to enabling both sets of actors to effectively carry out their mandates, as is having clearly agreed upon civil-military coordination mechanisms. When POC sites frst emerge, there is a risk that humanitarian and peacekeeping responses can become overly site-centric. As time progresses, however, both humanitarians and peacekeepers will need to carefully monitor the context inside and outside the POC sites, and triage responses based on greatest needs. Likewise, humanitarians and the UN mission will need to continuously rationalize the presence of personnel across the country to ensure that an appropriate balance is maintained between POC and non-POC site responses. In considering the delivery of humanitarian assistance in contexts with POC sites, humanitarian actors are likely to face a number of challenges.