Rwanda peacekeepers conduct cleaning campaign in S. Sudan

August 25, 2019 (JUBA) - Rwandan police and military peacekeepers serving in the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), on Saturday, conducted a voluntary community cleaning exercise aimed at promoting hygiene and sanitation.

A contingent of female Rwandan police officers (New Times photo)

The exercise was carried out by peacekeepers deployed in Juba.

The peacekeepers cleared shrubs in the vicinity of their camps.

The contingent commander for Rwanda Formed Police Unit Three (FPU-3), SSP Jackline Urujeni said the campaign will be maintained to promote cleanliness, hygiene and protect the environment.

“The camp cleanliness campaign is meant to help make the surroundings cleaner, greener, healthier and more environmentally efficient,” she said.

A series of activities sports activities also climaxed the one day event.

“The purpose of coming together as peacekeepers in sports is to network and team building, with emphasis on the role of women in peace building and gender promotion,” Urujeni stressed.

Women constitute about 30 percent of the Rwandese contingents deployed in South Sudan and Central African Republic, making Rwanda one of the leading contributors of female peacekeepers.

Meanwhile, the UN Police Chief of Staff, ACP Bartheremy Rugwizangoga applauded the peacekeepers’ teamwork and reiterated the importance of engaging local communities in such activities to increase the good cooperation between the UN and civilians for easy implementation of the mandate to protect them.

(ST)