Live ammunitions loaded
The hottest time in South Sudan can hit a sweltering 50 C. It can go lower during the rainy season from May to October, about 20 to 40 C, with the temperature at night being about 25 C. For peacekeepers, this temperature feels comfortable, but also brings troubles.
Ding Hong, the battalion commander of the eighth Peacekeeping Infantry Battalion to South Sudan ( Juba), said that soldiers often encounter snakes and lizards while carrying out their duties and patrols. When the rainy season comes, mosquitoes are a particular bane. Especially during nighttime missions, soldiers could also be bitten by insects such as termites. Those bites can not only cause skin irritation, but also transmit malaria. Although the peacekeepers are vaccinated, it does not mean 100 percent protection. Secondly, the traffic conditions in South Sudan are particularly bad, as there are only a few asphalt and cement roads, and the rest are bumpy dirt roads.
Ding clearly remembers that in the six days of their first long patrol, their infantry fighting vehicle had to change its tires 10 times. In the rainy season, the road conditions deteriorate further, as the roads become muddy and are covered in mud pits of different sizes. Some roads can even be completely submerged. During patrols, vehicles often sink into silt and must be towed by heavy- duty tractors.
A harsh natural environment is nothing to be feared by peacekeepers, and the bigger security challenge comes from the volatile situation in South Sudan. Although the new transitional government of South Sudan was established in February 2020, the chaos in the country has not subsided, with armed conflicts and exchanges of fire occurring regularly.
The peacekeepers have become the backbone of the locals. They wear blue helmets and berets with the UN logo, and the right armbands with a world map with olive branches, symbolizing peace.
The greatest pressure for Ding, the commander of infantry, engineering, and medical peacekeeping units, is how to ensure the security of the troops. The Chinese peacekeeping infantry battalion is mainly responsible for guarding and patrolling the 15 observation and alert posts as well as the buffer zones of the UN House. In addition, it also conducts 24- hour security guard protection for important targets such as the office area of the UNMISS special representative and the accommodation area of the deputy special representative and the deputy commander of the troops.
“Unexpected situations may arise at any time, such as the spread of fire caused by local conflicts and the influx of civilians. During the patrol process, troops are often blocked by checkpoints, and sometimes some unidentified armed personnel will maliciously make things difficult. For all possible situations, we have formulated targeted plans and preventive measures,” Ding said.
Most of the UN peacekeeping troops are deployed in countries or regions in turbulence or underdeveloped economy, which brings great challenges to the work and life of peacekeepers. Over the past 30 years, nearly 50,000 Chinese troops have participated in 25 UN peacekeeping operations, covering more than 20 countries and regions around the world.