News (Consolidated) - UNSOM

I am honoured to join you today to remember the brave women and men who have lost their lives while serving in UN Peacekeeping. More than 3,800 military, police and civilian peacekeepers have lost their lives since the United Nations deployed the first of its 72 peacekeeping missions back in 1948…

Rebuilding the war-torn city of Malakal, a ghost town during much of the armed conflict, has proved to be a challenge, with both adequate materials and local know-how lacking. Over the past couple of months, UN peacekeepers have taught interested locals basic construction skills. “All my life, all I…

“Our mandate is to protect civilians and build durable peace. Education is key to sustainable development.” Thus spoke Sarjoh Aziz Kamara, representing the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, at a ceremony where a brand new primary school was handed over to the jubilant community of Awada, near…

Honourable Minister; Excellencies; Members of the diplomatic community; Dear UN colleagues; My fellow peacekeepers, Thank you for sharing this special day with us. It is my great pleasure to welcome you all on this 71 st anniversary of United Nations Peacekeeping. Over the past seven decades, more…

Ambassadors, bons vivants, commanders, dignitaries and excellencies. They were all there, at UN House in Juba. Yet they had all left the parade ground when the celebration of the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers began in spontaneous, playful earnest. As most higher-ups were mingling…

The routine of cattle raids and revenge attacks in Western Lakes prevails because of a lack of an efficient justice system in the area. This conclusion was reached at a two-day roundtable discussion on the rule of law and human rights organized in Rumbek. “If our government does not apprehend…

“We have agreed together to hold anyone that will cause conflict between us accountable, like thieves of goats and cattle,” said Oburak Alex, the landlord of Bur who oversees all traditional rituals and land ownership disputes in the area. The Bur community in Eastern Equatoria has frequently voiced…

When a group of UN police officers in Bor realized that most of their female South Sudanese colleagues could not read, speak or write English and hence were relegated to making tea for their male coworkers, they decided to act. The UN police officers, serving with the United Nations Mission in South…

The ratification by South Sudan’s legislative assembly of two international covenants requiring states to protect and respect the human rights of their people has been welcomed by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan. This week, 165 members of the South Sudan Transitional National Legislative…

Abraham Lier has seen enough pitch-black nights at Bor Hospital, where he has worked for a while. “Moving around in between wards and sections was risky and emergencies at night was like groping in the dark,” says Abraham, standing outside Bor’s only functioning public health facility – the Bor…

The ninth batch of youth who have received training in different fields has graduated from a vocational centre run by Republic of Korean peacekeepers in Bor after completing a 20-week hands-on curriculum. 52 students, among them 11 girls, acquired skills in agriculture, carpentry, welding…

As the sun begins to rise over the sea of white tents dotted throughout the United Nations protection camp, a group of families are already up and about, bustling around as they pack their belongings and prepare for the trip of a lifetime. The families have lived in the protection site in the…