Kenya's UN Ambassador Macharia Kamau told a news conference yesterday that Lt Gen Johnson Mogoa Kimani Ondieki was sacked by UN chief Ban Ki-moon as "a scapegoat" for the systemic failures of the UN peacekeeping system.
He said the investigation was demanded "by certain current and future members" of the Security Council who wanted to protect their interests during the July attacks in South Sudan's capital, Juba. He refused to identify them.
Over three days in July, at least 73 people were killed, including two Chinese peacekeepers and more than 20 internally displaced people who had sought UN protection. The investigators also criticized UN peacekeepers for failing to respond to an attack on a private compound just over a kilometer away where UN staff, aid workers and local staff were robbed, beaten, raped and killed by armed government soldiers.
Kenya's Foreign Ministry, expressing "dismay" at Ondieki's firing and the way the investigation was conducted, announced Wednesday that it was withdrawing its 1,000 troops from the UN peacekeeping operation in South Sudan and will not contribute to beefing up the force by 4,000 troops.
Ban's 10 years as UN chief ends on Dec 31 and Antonio Guterres will take over as secretary-general on Jan 1.