NORTHERN BAHR EL GHAZAL – “To serve and protect” is an age-old mantra for police forces around the world. Police Advisor Adebayo Stella Adejumo and other law enforcement officers serving with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) go beyond that oversimplified job description, however. They would most certainly like to add “educate” or “train” to their list of key tasks.

“Sure, my job is to protect civilians, particularly vulnerable people, but I also help build the capacity of the local police,” says Stella. And with more than 20 years of experience as an officer in her home country, Nigeria, she is bound to have plenty of valuable expertise to share.

Stella’s South Sudanese colleagues have had the privilege to benefit from her know-how for one year, but now her stint in their country is coming to an end.

“This experience of serving with a UN peacekeeping mission is not something to take for granted. It’s been a pleasure,” she says.

Stella’s duties have been many and varied, ranging from conducting patrols, teaching road safety principles to young people, inspecting detention facilities, and ensuring that human rights are respected and upheld.

“I feel that I have been able to make a positive difference. For me, it is a joy to be involved in trainings and capacity building activities with my South Sudanese police colleagues, from whom I have also learnt a lot myself,” she avers.

There are several positives from South Sudan that Stella will remember fondly, not least the people themselves.

“The South Sudanese people show a lot of both respect and hospitality. At times I feel that I am back home in Nigeria and not here. That feeling seems to go both ways, because once I was even named Stella Deng (a typical name in South Sudan) by some persons I met during a trust-building patrol. The food, culture and dancing are some other things I won’t forget anytime soon,” she says with a smile.

A couple of local phenomena Stella, could, however, have lived without.

“The weather is challenging, especially the heat. The temperature reaches 45 degrees and that is just too much. Then there is the dust along the roads. Sometimes you lose almost all visibility and can’t see a thing. I won’t miss that!”

Adebayo Stella Adejumo is hopeful about the future of South Sudan and has a message to the people she has shared a year of her life with.

“Do not lose hope. Nothing lasts forever. Your time will come. One day there will be peace, and you will be enjoying every one of its dividends.”