Chinese Peacekeepers Awarded UN Medal for outstanding service in South Sudan
Channel: UNMISS VIDEOS
Date: 2017-10-04

Chinese peacekeepers serving with the United Nations in Juba have had many reasons to celebrate over the last two days. 

Yesterday was the National Day of the People’s Republic of China. Today, they celebrated their commitment and service to the people of South Sudan with a Medal Parade Ceremony for the third Chinese Peacekeeping Battalion to serve with the UN Mission in South Sudan(UNMISS).

SOUNDBITE: DEPUTY SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL, MOUSTAPHA SOUMARÉ:
“Today we recognize the dedication, commitment and professionalism of the 700 Chinese contingent troops under the command of Colonel Ding Hai Long. I commend you for your contribution across a range of critical security tasks since joining the Mission in December 2016.”

Since the deployment of the battalion in December 2016, the Chinese contingent has worked hard to build and maintain a safe and secure environment for the people of South Sudan, including patrolling at Protection of Civilians (POC) sites near the UN base, and taking part in search operations to keep criminals and weapons out of the site.

They have also carried out patrols within the capital Juba as well as long distance along dangerous and damaged roads to reach vulnerable people in the remotest areas of the country.  

SOUNDBITE: DEPUTY SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL, MOUSTAPHA SOUMARÉ:
“I would be remiss if I did not mention that 13 members of the contingent are women and I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude for your service in particular. The role and contribution of female officers is especially crucial in a place like South Sudan by making uniformed personnel more accessible to the most vulnerable civilians.”

The Commanding Officer of the contingent, Ding Hai Long, expressed his gratitude to all UNMISS personnel for their support in helping the Chinese Battalion fulfill its mandate to protect civilians and build durable peace in South Sudan. 

Over almost three decades, China has contributed more than 30,000 UN peacekeepers to 24 different Missions. It is the second largest financial contributor to peacekeeping.