One hundred and forty-six officers and soldiers of the United Kingdom (UK) contingent serving with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) have received medals of honor for their service to the UN and people of South Sudan.

The contingent is the UK’s largest troop contribution to the UN and the first to be deployed to the South Sudan Mission.

Speaking at a ceremony in Bentiu, the UNMISS Director of Mission Support, Stephanie Sheer, said the women and men of the UK contingent had demonstrated an “unwavering commitment in implementing the Mission’s mandate in the Unity region”.  

Ms. Sheer also noted the important role the female troops play in peacekeeping operations, especially when it comes to “making uniformed personnel more accessible to vulnerable civilians—girls, boys, women and the elderly”.

“I take this opportunity to encourage the UK government, as we do with all troop contributing countries, to further strengthen the participation of women in uniform”, she said.

This year, the UK deployed a contingent of 400 personnel to UNMISS, 218 of which are based in the Unity region where they have built a hospital and maintain an engineering detachment to support the Mission.

The UK Contingent Commander, Lt. Col. Katie Hislop, said she was proud of her troops’ contribution to UNMISS and the people of Bentiu.

“I hope we have demonstrated our commitment, not only to UNMMIS, but also to Bentiu and all we serve here,” she said.