A Peacekeeper in South Sudan Advocates Peace Through Unwavering Love

By Liao Jie

On May 29， 2020， the United Nations announced the theme of the International Day of UN Peacekeepers as “Women in Peacekeeping： A Key to Peace.” As a policewoman， I was honored to join Chinas eighth police contingent for the UN Mission in South Sudan （UNMISS）， whereby I witnessed the great reform in peacekeeping in the South Sudan in the past year and proudly made my own contribution to the peace-building process there.

Founded on July 9， 2011， the Republic of South Sudan is the 193rd member state of the UN and the 54th country on the African continent. A least developed country in the world， South Sudan suffers from very low levels of agricultural productivity and a serious lack of industrial infrastructure， and has to rely on humanitarian aid from the UN in times of famine. Although the interim government was set up in February 2020， there is still little hope for peace in this country with the continued partisan strife， political upheaval and social turmoil. Worse still， the outbreak of COVID-19 has not only sent the global economy spiraling downward but also delivered a devastating blow to this young African country right after it signed a peace agreement in March， causing serious inflation problems and throwing its people into further poverty.

Last year， UNMISS began to hand over administration of the refugee camps to the local government of South Sudan， and the responsibilities of the UN police have been adjusted accordingly from law enforcement to provision of consultation services. This change has posed great challenges to UN police officers， as the need for us to coordinate with the local army and police force has greatly increased. In addition to pressures from work， we have to also endure the hot weather， raging mosquitos， and possible exposure to tropical diseases and infectious diseases such as COVID-19. It is common for us to sleep amidst the sound of gunfire and have only two meals a day.

My Responsibility in Coronavirus Response

In April 2020， South Sudan reported its first confirmed COVID-19 case. Before this wave of infections struck， my colleagues and I had prepared the Pandemic Prevention Plan in UNPOL Field Office Juba UNMISS  based on the experience and best practices in China we had learned in our spare time. The plan was later approved of by the top officials and implemented throughout the whole task area. Afterwards， I was appointed as logistics management officer for COVID-19 prevention in Juba， with responsibilities such as allocating protective gear， collecting data， quarantine enforcement， and coordination. My work is very challenging， to say the least. With the rapid spread of the pandemic， infections and deaths have been climbing constantly. Moreover， there have been serious security concerns among UN peacekeepers due to the local communitys mounting hostility towards us， as rumors spread that we brought the virus to the country. Our colleagues in the civilian component of UNMISS have been working from home or remotely， but as police officers we have to stick to our posts. I would be lying if I say I was not scared， but I could not step back， as I was a uniformed police officer. After all， no matter how many problems there are， there will always be solutions. For example， before the epidemic broke out in South Sudan， I had secured a large number of masks and disposable gloves for the UN personnel in Juba. I had also helped to formulate and implement policies regarding the reporting of confirmed and suspected cases， the disinfection of vehicles and offices， and the training of Individual Police Officers （IPOs） and Formed Police Unit on disease control， thereby ensuring the smooth operations in Juba during the pandemic.

In order to ease the tension with the local military and police， and ensure that our work continues uninterrupted during the epidemic， I have provided COVID prevention training for local soldiers and civilians on the basis of prevention experiences in China and my own experience in logistics management. I have also donated protective gear to the local community. With these efforts， I hope to make my own contribution to the peacekeeping mission overall and to the rehabilitation of the refugees specifically.

A Policewomans Special Mission

As a female police peacekeeper， I had a special mission in South Sudan to help local children and women. Before I came， I had heard anecdotes about African womens misery， but the reality here has exceeded my imagination. For example， I was shocked to find that in todays world there are still places where a woman can be bought with a buffalo. In the polygamous society of South Sudan， women not only have to do housework but also support their families financially. In March 2020， I took part in the demonstrations and meetings jointly organized by local women representatives， international womens organizations， and the UN female police officers in support of female empowerment. By raising local womens awareness of their rights， the campaign has created a widespread influence on South Sudanese society. For me personally， these activities also availed me of opportunities to communicate with local women closely. However， I am keenly aware that one campaign is far from enough. To uproot the longstanding prejudice against women and fundamentally change the local womens situation for the better， we peacekeeping personnel and local women should make unrelenting efforts together. Because of the coronavirus pandemic， it was hard for us to interact with local women in person. But I have taken advantage of my job as a logistics management officer and member of UNPOL Womens Network to keep a close watch over the local womens conditions. Whenever I saw a refugee woman or a local woman at the aforementioned meetings for female empowerment， I would always attend to their needs and try every means to build up their confidence and solve their problems. When I allocated protective gear and other supplies to refugees， local troops， or local police officers， I would always make sure a fair share of supplies was given to women.

In the process of handing over the refugee camps to the local police， we provided female refugees with special trainings on human rights. To make sure that the female refugees are properly rehabilitated and their rights protected when they are stopped， questioned or searched by local police， we proposed that at least one female police officer be deployed to each checkpoint. To help the local female officers to go about their work， I also suggested that a duty room be specially allocated for them. We finally found some proper-sized shipping containers in the engineering department which could be used as makeshift offices and lounge rooms. We then negotiated with the local police departments about where these should be installed. Now the first makeshift office has been in use， and the other two will soon be installed after refitting.

The local children are also in dire need of humanitarian assistance. Many children here are malnourished after years of civil war and social upheaval. As countless children have lost their parents to war， the bigger children often take up the responsibility of taking care of their younger siblings. On my assignment， my colleagues and I regularly volunteered at an orphanage in Juba. Whenever we visited the orphanage， the children always craned their necks towards our car with sparkling eyes. I remember in particular a child who had gone mute after witnessing his own parents killed before his very eyes， and yet would come close to us each time we visited. I feel for these children deeply. We would not only donate money or supplies to the orphanage but also spend time with the children there， sometimes sharing the food we had prepared， sometimes inviting them to play football in the sports gear we bought them， in hope that the children could have fun like their peers.

A Long Way to Go for Female Peacekeepers

As a female peacekeeper in Africa， I came to truly understand our mission and responsibilities in the peacekeeping cause. Female officers play an important role in protecting the women and children in refugee camps， coordinating with local female police officers， and maintaining the relations within the UNMISS community. It is in view of our genders great contribution that the UN strongly advocates women in peacekeeping. With our open-minded， patient， and caring nature， women can better integrate into the local community， prevent or minimize confrontations， and set role models for local women. These qualities of women peacekeepers have been demonstrated nowhere more amply than in the response to COVID-19. After the pandemic broke out， many countries shut down their airports to reduce the traffic flow. UNMISS also paused all shifts in personnel until June 30， 2020 and restrained everyone from leaving the cramped work site. The policies posed serious challenges to UN peacekeepers. However， many female colleagues have showed great resilience and countered the difficulties with patience and mutual support. Thanks to these womens perseverance， the operations in the task area have been carried out uninterrupted.

The peacekeeping experience also brings immeasurable benefits to women. UNMISSs Police Commissioner Ms. Unaisi Bolatolu-Vuniwaqa from Fiji once remarked that peacekeeping was “challenging yet more rewarding at the same time，” and “an epic experience one will never regret.” Working as peacekeepers requires great competencies of us， as we need to process large amounts of information within a short time， while living and working in relative isolation， apart from our families and in an unfamiliar work environment. However， the challenges also open up opportunities for personal growth， particularly for us women. With the experience we may broaden our horizons， develop our competencies， and hone our teamwork skills. We must adapt to the multicultural environment by absorbing knowledge rapidly and working with others effectively. As a female peacekeeper， I myself have firsthand experience of such personal growth. True， the past year has been challenging， but after I integrated into the work environment and established my goals， I began to identify as a member of my community and take up responsibility when situations arose. In the face of such public emergencies as the coronavirus pandemic， I have been able to take advantage of my identity as a female officer and advance my work in the task area with unwavering patience. My experience in the past year is a treasure that will benefit my life and work tremendously in the future.

While recognizing the benefits of women in peacekeeping both for the cause and for women ourselves， we should not underestimate the hardships that have prevented many women from serving as peacekeepers for a long time. These hardships include harsh living conditions， gender discrimination， sexual harassment， lack of attention to womens physiological needs， and the unfair division of labor in a patriarchal system. To solve these difficulties， the UN should create a favorable work environment， enhance logistical support， provide adequate training for prospective women peacekeepers， and establish an equitable performance assessment system. On the other hand， female peacekeepers should also embrace the peacekeeping cause with a sense of honor and responsibility. We should understand that peacekeeping is more than a job. We should strive to develop our abilities and infuse our work with enthusiasm and responsibility， so that we may provide genuine help for the women and children in the mission area. We should also adjust ourselves psychologically in the new environment and set good role models with our work for the local children， women， and even our colleagues.

Perseverance Rooted in Love

On December 23， 2020， my colleagues in the eighth contingent of the peacekeeping police force completed their assignments and headed back home to be reunited with their families and friends. However， I applied to have my assignment extended by six months to provide continued assistance for the South Sudanese community in the crucial handover of the refugee camps.

Many friends and colleagues back home and in South Sudan wonder how I keep to peacekeeping with such cheerfulness. After all， I do miss my family， and I would be lying if I say I am not scared. However， I am here to represent China， and the five-starred red flag on my uniform always fills me with pride. I have been prepared to overcome all obstacles since I embarked on my peacekeeping career. No adversity， be it virus or flying bullets， will stop me from demonstrating my professionalism and commitment as a Chinese peacekeeper.

As a concluding remark， I would like to cite the words of my good friend Senior Operations Officer Karim from Egypt upon his departure： “I am proud of being your friend. Jie， keep going， you can do more for this mission.”■

（Translated by Shao He）