British troops join UN peacekeeping force in South Sudan

May 2, 2017 (JUBA) – The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said about 400 United Kingdom troops arrived to serve as peacekeepers.

“British troops, proudly wearing their distinctive blue UN berets arrived in Juba today to join the United Nations Mission in South Sudan,” UNMISS said in a statement that was released late on Tuesday.

According to UNMISS, the UK contingent will provide a Military Engineering Taskforce to the Malakal and Bentiu Protection of Civilians Sites (POCs), as well as a Level II Hospital in Bentiu.

Also, British troops will also conduct construction to improve the accommodation, security and drainage in the areas, along with the construction of a jetty on the Nile River and a helicopter landing site.

“Alongside their UNMISS colleague, their efforts will make a contribution to protecting civilians and creating conditions to enable the delivery of humanitarian aids,” the UNMISS added.

With almost 400 troops in total, this will be one of the UK’s largest operational deployments across the world.

In addition to the UNMISS troops, 4,000 Regional Protection Force members approved by the UN Security Council last year began arriving in Juba this week to pacify the main city and provide security to vital infrastructure and routes leading out of Juba.

There are about 12,000 peacekeepers serving in UNMISS, protecting more than 200,000 civilians in six POCs.

The civilians fled violence from government troops at the onset of conflict in December 2013.

(ST)