10 July 2015 - To promote peace among different ethnic groups, UNMISS recently began training a Community Watch Group at the UNMISS Protection-of-Civilians (PoC) site in the Unity State capital Bentiu.

The training, which started on 8 July and will end on 20 July, will also focus on how to reduce crime among internally displaced persons (IDPs).

More than 160 participants representing the different communities living at the site are attending the training organized by the UNMISS Civil Affairs Office.

“We have divided them into about three batches and this includes men and women,” said Civil Affairs Officer Adewuyi Adewumi.

“The IDPS and the Community Watch Group (live) in different sectors within the new PoC site and we expect them to relate well with UNMISS, the larger UN family and non-governmental organizations, as well as to (provide) us with security-related information within their sectors and blocks,” he added.

Ms. Elizabeth Nyapuot Giel, a participant, said the training would help them understand their roles as community leaders and help them educate community members on living in peace and harmony.

“We came here for the protection and we want our people to unite and live in peace,” she said. “We don’t want anybody to divide us in the camp. We will go back and educate our youth on the importance of peace. We must work hard to reduce crimes in this PoC site.”