6 December 2013 - Assisting local authorities to enforce the law and maintain peace, the UN handed over today a police post in Aweil East County’s Yargot Payam in Northern Bahr El-Ghazal State.

Construction of the $50,000 Quick Impact Project, consisting of two detention cells and an investigation office, was organized by the UNMISS Resident Coordinator’s Office/Recovery, Reintegration and Peacebuilding section and implemented by the local non-governmental organization Aweil Widows Opportunity for Development Agency (AWODA).

“Today we are thankful to UNMISS because we are delivered from the chains our suspects were detained (with),’’ said Paramount Chief Garang Rual. “If a suspect is chained (outdoors), the police personnel are always afraid of retaliation against the suspect.’’

State Police Commissioner Major General Peter Mading Duor urged the mission to carry out work in other remote payams.

“There is an area called Majok, where a suspect is chained … and given a stick to protect himself from hyena,” the commissioner said. “I appeal to the UN to help me to construct a similar structure there.’’

Further payams needing support included Malual-kuel, Warlang-garam, Rumaker and Marol Deng Geng of Aweil North County,’’ said Deniel Akol Diing, legislative assembly chief whip, on behalf of that body.

Numa Shams, RCO/RRP Officer representing the UNMISS State Coordinator, pledged mission support for local authorities.

“UNMISS is not a development agency, but we are doing this as part of the extension of state authority, and supporting the government of South Sudan … so that they can function more efficiently,” Mr. Shams said.