Lieutenant General Mohan Subramanian, former Force Commander in the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and Director of the Office for Strategic Partnerships in the Department of Peace Operations.
Drawing on his experience as Force Commander of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in South Sudan and as a senior leader in the Indian Army, Lieutenant General Mohan Subramanian reflects on the similarities and differences of leading in national and multinational operational environments. In this interview, he shares lessons from both roles, discusses peacekeeping’s capacity to adapt to evolving security challenges, and offers his vision for strengthening UN peace operations going forward.
Question: Over the course of your tenure in South Sudan, you led peacekeepers through some difficult moments, from widespread flooding to complex security threats. Looking back, is there a particular incident or decision that remains especially memorable?
Mohan Subramanian: Looking back on my time as Force Commander in UNMISS (https://unmiss.unmissions.org/en), there are several decisions, both individual and collective, that I am proud of due to their positive impact on delivering the mandate. Two decisions remain especially memorable because of the risks involved and the direct protection outcomes they achieved.
The first was the decision to deploy a temporary base in Abiemnom, in the northwest of the country, a highly conflict-prone area where infrastructure was extremely poor and where the government had explicitly forbidden us from deploying. I had real concerns, including the possibility of eviction of peacekeepers and long-term damage to our relationship with the host authorities. I also had questions about whether we could even sustain troops in such a remote and insecure location. Despite this, the protection of local communities at risk was for me an imperative. At the time, there was no doubt that the protection of civilians was a priority and that there was no other way but to dispatch UN troops to the area.
In hindsight, many of those concerns proved unfounded. We were able to manage relations with the host government, sustain the deployment, and most importantly, contribute to saving thousands of lives over the following years.
The second decision was the introduction of mixed patrols (military, police and civilians) to prevent conflict related sexual violence, which at the time was not part of standard operational practice. This initiative faced criticism from the outset, particularly because results were not immediately visible. However, the team’s persistence proved crucial. In one instance, our forces successfully prevented the abduction and abuse of 96 girls by an armed group. They placed themselves in the armed group's path and prevented it from reaching the girls. That moment demonstrated the necessity of such patrols, which became a regular feature of our operations. Both decisions reinforced the importance of innovation, conviction, and keeping the protection of civilians at the center of our mission...
Read the full interview here.
