Owing to the peace that has crept back to the country, over a political row that resulted into a military conflict between between President Salva Kiir, and his former deputy, Riek Machar in December 2013 which led to killing and displacement of many people, South Sudan has announced that it will no longer accept the deployment of United Nations (UN) peacekeepers.

Ceoafrica gathered that the government’s move at the rejection of 4,000 UN peacekeepers is a reversal of its earlier decision in November to accept the troops’ deployment due to the peace being enjoyed by the citizens.

The regional protection force, authorised by the UN Security Council in August after renewed fighting in the capital, Juba, is meant to strengthen the 13,500-strong UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan

"The government of South Sudan has the ability to provide security and stability for the country and for its citizens without the deployment of a protection force," South Sudan's Foreign Ministry's spokesperson, Mawien Makol Ariik, said.

Defence Minister, Kuol Manyang Juuk also said there was no need for the regional protection forces to be deployed in South Sudan since  most of the people abroad still believe that there is fighting in Juba and around the country, but Juba is now secure," Juuk said.

The South Sudanese government had warned in August 2016 that the deployment of more UN forces would marginalise its sovereignty, but later gave its consent amid the threat of an arms embargo, which in December, a UN human rights commission urged a rapid deployment of the additional peacekeepers amid reports of ethnic killings.

A unity government was formed in April, but fighting broke out again in July, sending Machar into exile.

The UN's top human rights official has previously blamed South Sudanese government troops and rebels loyal to the president of ethnically targeted violations, including extrajudicial executions and sexual violence incidences in August 2015.

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has previously faced criticism for failing to fully protect civilians facing violence.

In early November, Ban Ki-moon, the former UN secretary-general, dismissed the commander of the UNMISS force following a damning report that accused the peacekeepers of failing to protect civilians during the outbreak of violence in July.

The report from a UN special investigation found that a lack of leadership in the UNMISS ended in a "chaotic and ineffective response" during the heavy fighting in the capital, Juba, from July 8 to 11 that killed many people.