Mine action in progress: A peek behind the scenes as land in a Juba suburb is cleared
A mine action field site is a sight to behold – on those rare moments when you can actually discern anything through the dirt-brown clouds of dust kicked up by the MineWolf 240 rumbling through the sun-hardened ground of a field in Kudwo, some 25 km from Juba. The remote-controlled machine, weighing…
UNMISS engineers rebuild bridge along the Upper Nile West Bank
During the rainy season in Kodok, a town located along the volatile West Bank in the Upper Nile region of South Sudan, it’s not unusual to see fish and crocodiles floating around far away from their home in the Nile. As in many other parts of the country, intense rains and flooding bring everything…
UNIFIL, UNMAS recommit to end threats posed by landmines in south Lebanon
UNIFIL Chinese de-miners clear mines along the Blue Line in the vicinity of Rmeish, south Lebanon. The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) jointly marked the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action in the UNIFIL…
Peacekeeping: A 'great opportunity' to develop professionally and personally
A senior commander from Argentina, who has been deployed to the United Nations peacekeeping mission on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, has said that serving the UN is a “great opportunity” to develop professionally and personally. Lieutenant Colonel Jorge Frias Barrera speaks from experience. He…
UNMISS chief in push for peace, security and access for peacekeepers on visit to Wau
The head of the United Nation Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and Special Representative of the Secretary-General, David Shearer, has completed a two-day visit to the Greater Bahr El Ghazal region, where he held discussions with local authorities in Wau on a wide range of issues, including the…
“Bring-your-baby-to-workshop day” in Malakal as UNMISS activity targets young women to promote peace building
19-year-old newlywed Nyanakim Anguie Thon cradles her one-year old son as she sits in a room full of young women in Malakal. They are here to discuss everything related to peace and social cohesion. It’s the first time Nyanakim is attending a workshop like this one. Amongst her peers of comparable…
Mobile peace campaign brings hope to cattle camps in the Terekeka area
For years, the Terekeka area in South Sudan’s Central Equatoria region has been affected by conflicts related to cattle raiding, competition over grazing land and water sources, and cycles of revenge attacks. Despite numerous dialogue and peace conferences, cattle camp leaders have largely been…
The making of a peace conference: How an UNMISS field office brought opposing sides to the table in Upper Nile
It’s a hot Friday afternoon in the UN mission’s Malakal office. Everyone seated around the table in the conference room knows that it is going to be yet another working weekend. The atmosphere is tense, yet calm. The people in the room are preparing to bring eight area governors from the Upper Nile…
Time for action: Upper Nile region Governors and military commanders bring peace to the table in Malakal conference
“Peace is not what’s written on paper. Peace is what’s happening today in this room. Peace is the food we eat. Peace is in our walk and our talk.” The firmness and determination in the voice of the UN mission’s representative in Malakal Hazel De Wet, is met with a thunderous applause from the…
El Khiam students learn to make Spanish cuisines
The latest edition of the “Sancho Panza” course, which includes theoretical and practical classes in preparing Hispanic-Lebanese cuisines, concluded earlier this week in the El Khiam Technical School, south-eastern Lebanon. The course, run by UNIFIL’s Spanish peacekeepers, continued during the…
