Latest news with #UNMISS
Zawya
2 days ago
- General
- Zawya
United for Peace: United Nations (UN) Peacekeepers Day commemoration promotes shared desire for unity in South Sudan
'For very long time, we have been waiting for peace. With peace, there will be no more war. The time for change is here now,' crooned prominent South Sudanese reggae singer, WJ De King and fellow artist Irene Toss. Their electrifying performance brought hundreds of people to their feet, singing and dancing together, at the flagship event commemorating the International Day of United Nations Peacekeeping in Bor, Jonglei State. 'Peace begins with self-love, with self-reliance. Peace begins with celebrating diversity and embracing unity.' The dynamic duo embraced the theme for the day by launching a new song, commissioned by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, as part of a campaign to promote peace in the world's youngest country, under the theme 'Peace Begins with Me'. The campaign calls on every individual to take action, no matter how small, to contribute to a powerful, collective movement for peace. It also recognizes the persistence and unwavering commitment of the people of South Sudan to end conflict and secure sustainable peace and democracy. 'This event means a lot as coming together is the only way forward. If there is music, there is peace,' stressed WJ De King, who is also renown for being a peace activist. The event, held at the Jonglei State Secretariat, was all about engagement and inclusion, with participants including women's groups, children from a variety of schools, government officials, and UNMISS peacekeepers. 'Today is the day to make friendships. Make sure you don't go home without making a friend,' was the first thing people heard when entering the location, from young community mobilizer and writer, Mnyok Akech Atem, who seized the opportunity to promote the change he would like to see in his country. By giving space to different communities, the commemoration ceremony celebrated diversity and encouraged participants to embrace unity by resolving grievances, promoting reconciliation, and working together to implement locally led peace processes. 'It is our responsibility to foster mindsets and actions that will contribute to sustainable long-term peace in this country,' said the Guest of Honor, Jonglei State Deputy Governor, Matiop Lueth Atem. 'The UNMISS peacekeepers have been leading by example, and we want you to know that we, and the world beyond our nation's borders, see your sacrifice for the service to others.' UNMISS Head of Bor Field Office, Geeta Pious, stressed the mission's commitment to supporting South Sudan as it navigates the difficult journey from war to peace. She highlighted the contribution being made by peacekeepers in Jonglei and the Greater Pibor Administrative Area to protect civilians, deter violence, build critical infrastructure, and even help revolutionize the agricultural sector to encourage economic growth. For once, during the notorious rainy season, the weather was kind with the sun shining down on those gathered to celebrate the day, while it was noted that, at the same time, UNMISS peacekeepers were tirelessly labouring to drain water from areas hit by severe flooding, including the event venue, earlier in the week. It was the perfect conditions for hosting a wide variety of performances by Indian, Ethiopian, South Korean and Sri Lankan peacekeepers as well as the Nuer, Dinka and Anyuak communities. As event moderator UNMISS' Mach Samuel put it: 'It's like watching the world live'! 'The fact that so many local communities came here and showed their appreciation with their performances really made us feel the significance and impact of our work here,' shared UNMISS engineering peacekeeper, Captain Sylvia Nzila. At the end of the day, there was a sense that change is possible. Even after the event was officially concluded, participants from all communities stayed to exchange hugs, contact details, and share their feelings. The outcome demonstrates that peacekeeping is more than just protecting civilians, it is about building trust and confidence in support of sustainable peace, so that the people of South Sudan can secure the brighter future that they deserve. It illustrates that peace really does begin with me, you and all of us. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
GMA Network
5 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
PNP to send ‘all-women' unit to UN peacekeeping mission
A female member the PNP-AFP Contingent to Liberia receives a medal from the head of the Australian Police on November 5, 2014 The Philippines will deploy an all-female police unit to one of the United Nations Peacekeeping missions in the future, a Philippine National Police official said on Tuesday. 'We are preparing for one company, five platoons, all-women formed police unit very soon. And as we are preparing to do this, this is our commitment, pledge to the President to revitalize our contribution in peacekeeping,' said Police Major Sancho Celedio of UN Peacekeeping Center Screening and Deployment Section. Members of the country's police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines were previously sent to South Korea in the past as part of the Philippine Expeditionary Force. Celedio said there are PNP personnel currently in South Sudan as part of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). 'Currently, we are in South Sudan, we have 25 police personnel there at mayroon ding tropa ang AFP [there's also an AFP troop] in another country in Africa,' he said. Aside from Sudan, the AFP also has troops deployed in the Central African Republic, India and in Pakistan. 'For the AFP we do have individual deployments, and the biggest one would be from MINUSCA (United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic), that is in Central African Republic, we have also from UNMISS and also from UN Military Observer Group in India-Pakistan,' said Lieutenant Commodore Douglas Defeles, military staff officer and Humint analyst from MINUSCA in the Central African Republic. Defeles said the requirements of personnel assigned to be part of peacekeeping missions are 'very specific and very peculiar.' 'We will be working with other nationalities as well, so in terms of training and readiness, we should be trained on how to work with them and especially—and addition to that we are also given the chance to enroll in specific language that is necessary in the particular area for us [like] in Central Africa, we speak French, so we need to somehow learn at some point,' he said. Meanwhile, Celedio said that being a peacekeeper is a rewarding experience. 'Sa amin, one year lang naman talaga ang deployment [For us, our deployment only lasts a year] and once we complete the tour of duty, we are officially received as ambassadors of our country, represented our organization and our country in another place performing official duties,' he said. In the past 60 or more years, Filipino peacekeepers have taken part in 21 peacekeeping missions. —RF, GMA Integrated News
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
U.N. Peacekeeping Can Help Trump Advance His ‘Back to Basics' Agenda
Earlier this month, the United Nations Security Council renewed the U.N. peacekeeping mission in South Sudan amid a worsening security climate in the country. In voting for the renewal, the U.S. acting ambassador to the U.N., Dorothy Shea, stated that 'the United States is committed to the UN returning to its foundational purpose of maintaining international peace and security.' But for all the United States' rhetoric about the value and importance of peacekeeping, only two weeks prior it had withdrawn its own small contingent of military officers from the U.N. force in South Sudan, known as UNMISS. A week before that, a memo that leaked to the press included a plan to freeze U.S. contributions to peacekeeping missions altogether. This disconnect between U.S. rhetoric and actions may seem puzzling, but is consistent with U.S. President Donald Trump's policy agenda in three ways. First, pulling money from Blue Helmet peacekeeping operations, which is the main thing Americans think of when they think of the U.N., fits the Trump administration's broader political promise to voters to conspicuously slash what it considers to be wasteful bloat at the organization. Second, the removal of U.S. military personnel from UNMISS appears to be connected to South Sudan's initial denial of entry to a Congolese national removed from the U.S. as part of Trump's mass deportation policy in early April, though Juba later relented and admitted him 'in the spirit of the friendly relations between South Sudan and the United States.' If so, this kind of retaliation would be consistent with the transactionalism Trump is known for. To get more in-depth news and expert analysis on global affairs from WPR, sign up for our free Daily Review newsletter. Third, the U.S. rhetoric at the Security Council is aimed at countering what it views as mission creep in U.N. practice. As Shea pointedly noted when UNMISS was renewed, 'Peacekeeping mandates, including this one, should not pursue ideological goals that are difficult to define and even more challenging to implement on the ground, but rather focus on core Chapter VII functions.' As for the U.N. more generally, she added the 'potential of the system is commendable, but it has fallen quite far from its original mission,' reflecting a general White House concern for the U.N. to get back to 'basics.' Shea is correct that U.N. peacekeeping is worthwhile, and acknowledgment of that fact could offer the Trump administration an opportunity to further rethink and pivot on matters of global peace and security, as it has done in recent days on the India-Pakistan and Israel-Hamas conflicts, and may be planning on the Russia-Ukraine war. After all, of all the U.N. agencies that Trump could target for funding cuts, peacekeeping is actually the one most aligned with the U.N.'s core mission of conflict prevention. It is also the one that is most likely to be cost-effective—eight times more cost-effective than unilateral U.S. stability and support operations, to be exact. Based on that cost-benefit analysis, the Trump administration could actually get a better bang for its buck by coupling its desired U.N. reforms with efforts to enhance the factors scholars know help peacekeeping missions succeed, rather than by pulling resources altogether. U.N. peacekeeping is widely understood to be one of the most powerful and effective conflict-intervention tools in human history. Political scientists who have studied these missions have found marked improvements across the board on various measures, including the speed with which wars end, the reduced likelihood of them restarting and the reduced likelihood of civilians being killed or sexually assaulted. But as political scientist Page Fortna notes, U.N. missions are often sent to intervene in the hardest conflicts where they are least likely to succeed, and they are often inadequately resourced to boot, which explains why they are also widely perceived as ineffective. The many successes these missions achieve go uncovered by the media, while any failures that occur take the spotlight, with commentators then using those failures to call for the elimination of peacekeeping altogether. Instead, we should be learning from the wider picture of peacekeeping's many successes. To be sure, South Sudan is a case that might cast doubt on the efficacy of peacekeeping. Efforts toward sustainable peace have stalled. Refugee flows into neighboring countries remain at crisis levels. And war crimes against civilians by government forces are endemic, including a disturbing turn toward the use of chemical incendiary weapons as well as a recent attack on a hospital operated by Doctors Without Borders. But this is a reason not for withdrawal, but rather for a stepped-up U.S. troop presence and infusion of funding, alongside reforms of the mission's mandate. That's because peacekeepers in South Sudan haven't always had the ability to put their best foot forward. It's easy to blame the U.N. for this, but in reality the organization is always beholden to the political constraints imposed by member states, particularly the permanent members of the Security Council and especially the U.S., its biggest donor. Member states set out the mandate for each peacekeeping mission from scratch, and they have opportunities to make substantive changes to improve effectiveness—including by holding senior commanders accountable—when they renew missions. In fact, as the 'penholder' for South Sudan at the U.N., the U.S. has greater latitude, and therefore greater responsibility, than most for setting that agenda and wielding what leverage it has. Member states also choose whether or not to provide adequate resources for operational success. Washington has historically provided 22 percent of the U.N. peacekeeping budget, and as a result, as Mark Leon Goldberg makes clear, the U.S. footprint—and therefore leverage—in the peacekeeping world is heavy. Rather than pull out of peacekeeping, the Trump administration could use that leverage to wring even more value out of peacekeeping missions in exchange for its funding. For example, it could require that South Sudan and the Security Council implement—and fund—specific fixes known to make a difference. As an example, demobilization, disarmament and rehabilitation, or DDR, programs are a staple of successful peacekeeping missions, but they are being starved for resources in South Sudan. This is a fixable problem and a missed opportunity. Protection of civilians also works best if small units of dedicated peacekeepers with situational awareness have the latitude to put themselves between vulnerable civilians and armed groups without waiting for approval from up the chain of command. Consider the contrast between the Dutch and Norwegian peacekeeping battalions in the former Yugoslavia. Future updates to the UNMISS mandate could strengthen the ability of the mission and its contractors to operate to prevent massacres without prior authorization. Political scientists Hanne Fjelde, Lisa Hultman and Desiree Nilsson also show that civilian protection operations work better in constraining nonstate actors than in constraining the armed forces of the government whose consent is required for the mission. To solve these problems, member states must use leverage at their disposal to change the behavior of the peacekeeping mission's host government as well as militias. In some respects, the U.S. approach to South Sudan following its initial withdrawal of personnel last month is heartening, as the updated rules just approved by the Security Council do call for more accountability for government forces. The Trump administration should be credited with these positive steps. But more could be done. In South Sudan, one driver of the ongoing tensions and civil war remains the easy flow of small arms and tanks into the country through Uganda. An arms embargo is up for renewal later this month, but according to retired U.S. Marine Lt. Col. Edward Carpenter—former chief of policy and plans for UNMISS and author of 'Blue Helmet'[full disclosure: he's also my brother]—the embargo is not only ineffective, as it goes largely unenforced, but also ironically counterproductive. That's because the ban on 'military aid' has historically been interpreted to prohibit the kinds of nonlethal supplies and assistance—such as uniforms, meals and military-to-military training in professional conduct and the laws of war—that actually assist government forces in maintaining discipline, creating the conditions for peace and providing alternatives to scorched-earth tactics. The language of the embargo was relaxed in 2023 to allow for just this kind of assistance, but so far the U.S. has failed to offer any to the South Sudanese government through various programs at the Defense Department's disposal. That's unfortunate, because these nonlethal services are exactly the sort of leverage Washington could use to pressure South Sudan's government to protect civilians. 'The government wants and needs these goods, which means they can be used to incentivize real change,' Carpenter says. Finally, if the Trump administration really cares about the success of U.N. peacekeeping missions, it has the ability to set new standards of risk and reward for participating states. One of the key political problems any peacekeeping mission faces is domestic casualty-aversion, which makes it harder for senior personnel to protect civilians when it counts. Peacekeeping can be dangerous: Just last week, two Cambodian peacekeepers lost their lives in South Sudan. And because member states often have no appetite for announcing such casualties to their home constituents, missions sometimes get shut down when they become too dangerous. But danger is to be expected in situations where civilians' lives are on the line. If the U.S. really wants to support not only the institution of peacekeeping but the idea of it, Washington could commit more troops rather than fewer—and model the resolve in the face of casualties that other troop-contributing countries have sometimes lacked when the going gets tough. This would reinforce U.S. leadership on the U.N.'s core mission. The U.S. is right to be concerned about revitalizing the U.N.'s core mission and values. If Trump views conflict resolution as the most important of those, the data shows that peacekeeping remains the surest of bets, despite the fact that certain hard cases have offered a mixed record. A foreign policy consistent with that goal would see the commitment of U.S. troops and treasure being increased rather than deprioritized, as they would yield valuable returns on investment. Charli Carpenter is a professor of political science and legal studies at University of Massachusetts-Amherst, specializing in human security and international law. She tweets at @charlicarpenter. The post U.N. Peacekeeping Can Help Trump Advance His 'Back to Basics' Agenda appeared first on World Politics Review.
Zawya
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Zawya
South Korean peacekeepers help transform the agricultural sector to combat food insecurity in Jonglei
Around 95 percent of South Sudan's population depends on farming, cattle-keeping or fishing for survival. Yet, the country is facing one of the world's worst humanitarian situations, with more than 7.7 million people currently estimated to be affected by acute food insecurity. To help rebuild a thriving agriculture sector, South Korean peacekeepers serving with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) are spearheading the implementation of high-tech, mechanized farming techniques to transform farming in the Jonglei region. The initiative, in collaboration with the Dr. John Garang Memorial University of Science and Technology in Bor, has a particular focus on rice farming, horticulture and orchid cultivation. 'These programs are vital for poverty reduction. Our collaboration with South Korea includes workshops and field demonstrations that help local students and farmers enhance food production with less manual labor, promoting essential skills and sustainability,' says Professor Abraham Matoch Dhal, the university's Vice Chancellor. This week, the peacekeepers, led by Colonel Kwon Byungguk, demonstrated the impact of their efforts to the National Agriculture Minister and the Jonglei State Governor, including innovative machinery and advanced farming processes such as precision tractors, automated irrigation, greenhouses and soil-testing kits, 'The modern rice farm initiated by South Korean peacekeepers in 2023 has quickly expanded its impact,' said Geetha Pious, Head of the UNMISS Field Office in Bor. 'This program is a strategic investment in agricultural growth and local economies.' Prior research by the project team identified a rice variety suited to local conditions and developed greenhouse and drip irrigation systems that will help improve fruit and vegetable production efficiency. Introducing orchid farming, recognized for its commercial potential, marks a pivotal advancement, empowering local communities with new income opportunities. By integrating traditional knowledge with cutting-edge techniques, the initiative is not only laying a solid foundation for sustainable agricultural growth in the conflict-affected nation—it is forging a dynamic model for the future. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
Zawya
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Zawya
Jonglei civil society and social workers pledge to protect children's rights at United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) workshop
Children have suffered immense harm as the result of persistent violence across South Sudan, including being killed, maimed, abducted, subjected to sexual violence and forcibly recruited into armed forces. To address alarming reports of children suffering these violations in Upper Nile and northern Jonglei, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan facilitated a two-day workshop to empower civil society groups, community and non-governmental organizations to respond to this challenge. The 50 participants gathered in Bor to discuss ways to collaborate on the development and implementation of monitoring and reporting strategies and to strengthen justice and accountability mechanisms. 'UNMISS is committed to continuing our full support for collaborative efforts to strengthen protection of children affected by armed conflict in Jonglei State,' said UNMISS Protection, Transition and Reintegration Team Leader in Bor, Gilbert Nantsa. Since any action begins with information, a key objective was to educate participants about the different types of violations, including the killing and injuring of children, sexual abuse, denial of access to humanitarian aid, attacks on schools, and recruitment of child soldiers. 'Counties like Akobo, Nyirol, Ayod, and Pigi are in a dire situation. Vulnerable children along with women and the elderly are seeking shelter under trees to escape ongoing violence. I urge all protection partners to join forces and intervene,' pleaded William Kuol Chuol, Jonglei State's Minister for Gender, Child, and Social Welfare. During the workshop, discussions highlighted another, often overlooked, challenge: the disproportionate impact conflicts have on children with disabilities which makes inclusive approaches critical, according to Grace Kuei from the Jonglei Women with Disability Organization. 'Our discussions centered on all areas of vulnerability, including the unique challenges faced by children with disabilities who often suffer more than their peers and are separated from social support networks. It is our duty to amplify their voices and safeguard them from targeted violence.' By the end of the workshop, participants like Rhoda Nyakir from the Child Care Organization expressed their commitment to developing tangible solutions that will enable children in their communities to live safer lives. 'This workshop came at a critical time and is a reminder of the vital links between local civil society organizations and communities. We will put the information and insights to good use.' Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
