Deployed to South Sudan’s capital, Juba, Subhonzoda Abdumannon from Tajikistan is an UNPOL Police Adviser who uses his investigative skills for UNMISS to enhance the mission’s situational awareness. In this short interview, this 28-year-old police officer tells us what motivates him to serve for peace in the world’s youngest nation.

What is your daily routine at UNMISS and, in your opinion, the impact you have?

I work as a Duty Officer in the UNMISS Integrated Operational Centre based in Juba. My main responsibility is to continuously monitor operational security and maintain situational awareness. It’s a very hands-on role and usually, I’d be out and about at various locations within the mission’s compound and the adjacent camp for internally displaced persons. With COVID-19, we’ve experienced strict lockdowns and movement restrictions. However, protecting civilians and ensuring security of mission personnel doesn’t stop, despite a pandemic, so we had to find innovative ways to do our jobs while ensuring the health and safety and that we, as peacekeepers, do not become vectors of transmission to the host populations we are here to serve. I’m proud to say that we continued our mandated activities effectively during a very difficult year.

What do you like most about your job?

I’ve always been inclined to be of service to others; therefore, I chose to join policing in my country, Tajikistan. I’m not afraid of challenges and here at UNMISS I am contributing to implementing the mission’s mandate in some of the toughest conditions in the world. My prior experience as an investigative officer in my country’s police has given me the ability to swiftly identify issues and problems, analyze them and parse together workable solutions. This has helped hugely in performing well here at UNMISS. I think what I like most is that we, as peacekeepers, solve seemingly insurmountable problems at times. Being from different cultures, we learn best practices from each other. Most importantly, the work we do everyday contributes directly to making the lives of the communities we serve safer.

What’s one thing you have learned since starting your mission?

The most important thing I’ve learned is that for people you serve to trust you, you must demonstrate your commitment to them every single day. There is no substitute for true kindness and care.