Confidence-boosting role played by UN peacekeepers in South Sudan refugee settlements

Confidence-boosting role played by UN peacekeepers in South Sudan refugee settlements

Confidence-boosting role played by UN peacekeepers in South Sudan refugee settlements

21 Jun 2017

Confidence-boosting role played by UN peacekeepers in South Sudan refugee settlements

Daniel Dickinson

Children splash in makeshift pools of muddy water, the result of a heavy night of rain and thunder in the small town of Bunj in the Upper Nile region of South Sudan.

 

This handful of children, who can enjoy an afternoon of carefree play, are among almost 140,000 refugees who have found sanctuary in this small town with a population of 20,000.

But unlike many displaced communities in other parts of South Sudan, they are not fleeing the conflict which has troubled the country for over three years; instead they have fled across the border from Sudan, just 30 kilometres to the north.

 

The refugees are living in four open areas or camps, and as Andreas Fiadorme of the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, explains, they are dependent on aid to survive. “The people here are wholly reliant on humanitarian assistance. Social services such as healthcare and education are mostly non-existent,” he said. “And the capacity of local authorities to respond to the vulnerable communities is very limited.”

 

The refugees started arriving from Sudan from 2012 onwards following the outbreak of conflict between armed forces of the Government of Sudan and the rebel group the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North or SPLM-N formerly a part of the SPLA that had finally gained an independent South Sudan in 2011. And they continue to arrive, fleeing fighting in the north and are accommodated in small mud or thatch houses built on open land surrounding Bunj town.

 

Grasses and crops have burst into life following the start of seasonal rains covering the landscape in shades of verdant green. Animals criss-cross paths, peanuts are sold on the roadside creating an impression of a lively village life.

 

But the overwhelming presence of refugees, that dwarfs the local population, has resulted in “considerable pressure on very limited resources” according to UNHCR’s Andreas Fiadorme, “particularly water, firewood and pasture.”

 

Tension between the arrivals from Sudan and the people of Bunj has resulted in several conflicts, and rivalries between ethnic groups in the refugee camps have also led to clashes. The area has also witnessed sporadic fighting between South Sudanese government forces, and opposition fighters known as SPLA –IO which has led to greater insecurity and instability in the region.

 

Some 150 UN peacekeepers, mainly from Rwanda, are stationed in Bunj as part of the UN’s mission to South Sudan, UNMISS. They operate from a small base in the town and patrol the well-kept roads which snake through the four camps, providing a confidence –boosting presence.

 

The head of the UN peacekeeping mission, UNMISS, David Shearer visited Bunj to assess the role of the peacekeepers. “It’s clear that the presence of these peacekeepers helps to build confidence and provide a sense of security to both the refugees and the people of Bunj.”

 

“And they are appreciated by UN and other humanitarian agencies,” he added, “which are able to work in secure conditions to support the needs of the refugee communities.”