Few civilians would know it, but there is a lot more to a medal parade ceremony, a frequent occurrence in any peacekeeping mission, than the handing out of pieces of suitably engraved metal.

Eight United Nations police officers from Portugal, four women and four men, have recently joined the United Nations Mission in South Sudan for a one-year deployment. The new arrivals are the first Portuguese police officers to serve in the country.

Senior officers in the South Sudanese army (SPLA) have been meeting in Juba with a view to getting removed from the list of shame that bears names of perpetrators of grave violations against children.