Paramount to the UN mission’s mandate in South Sudan is the protection of civilians, and ensuring POC sites themselves remain secure is a daily task.   Saturday break of dawn, on the outskirts of the Juba PoC 3 site, UNMISS Peacekeepers from Ethiopia, China, together with the Nepalese Force Protection Unit and United Nations Mine Action Service, assemble to carry out a search and sweep operation. Looking for contraband and offensive weapons the operation focused on grass lands and bush areas surrounding the site lasting for three and a half hours.

The extensive search carried out along the perimeter (of the site), as far as 300 metres into the bush, resulted in the discovery of three AK-47 semi-automatic machine guns, nearly two hundred rounds of ammunition and an array of military uniforms.  Although the outcome of the search unveiled what may be considered a negligible amount of weaponry in military terms, if even one life was saved from the unavailing violence of the ongoing conflict in this new nation, it was an endeavor worth undertaking to ensure a fire arm free PoC site.

View Photographs Here.