Chizokho Vero
Kohima | April 10
A police officer from Nagaland, Ben Longkumer, serving with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan has been presented with a medal and a certificate by the UN Police Commissioner in the presence of other UN dignitaries on March 31.
This medal is given to peacekeepers in the service of the UN serving in South Sudan for a period not less than six months. This is the second Medal received by Longkumer. His contribution was highly appreciated from all quarters in the UN.
Longkumer came to the UNMIS (United Nations Mission in Sudan) in Nov 2010. He was initially posted to a place called Maridi in Western Equatoria State and held the Charge of Operations Officer, Personnel Officer and the team leader of the team site.
He was actively involved in the development and strengthening the capacity of the South Sudan Police Services (SSPS) in fulfilling their responsibility to protect civilians through advice on policy, planning, and legislative development and by way of pro-active co-location and targeted monitoring duties, provision of technical advice to the local police, development and provision of appropriate training to the local police, provision of advice and assistance with regard to Gender, Child and Vulnerable Persons Protection issues, capacity and confidence building of the local police, assisting in the process of the reforming and restructuring of the local police and assisting the local police in establishing a Community Policing process consistent with the tenets of Democratic Policing.
After Independence of South Sudan on July 9, 2011, Longkumer was rolled over in the New Mission -UNMISS (United Nations Mission in South Sudan) and posted to Bentiu State HQ, Unity State as the Deputy State Advisor in Unity State and responsible for the overall direction, supervision, management and administration of UN Police personnel both at the State HQ and at the 05 CSB’s (County Support Bases) within the State.
The role includes being ultimately responsible for all the UN mandated daily operational and administrative functions of the State with primary focus on Co-Location, Database Registration of SSPS, Reform & Restructuring, Training, Welfare & Inspections, Community Policing, Safety & Security, CSB Coordination, Elections, Gender, Child and Vulnerable Persons Protection issues , Strategic and other Development & Capacity Building Programs in the State and also liaison with a wide variety of groups within and outside of UNMISS in order to improve the Mission for the State and ultimately as a whole for South Sudan.
Bentiu Unity state is the only rich oil producing state in South Sudan and is keenly contested and constantly in the news for the various fire fights and bombardments between South Sudan and Sudan. Conflicts are taking place almost everyday.
On February 1 this year while on a peace building exercise to Mayendit County in Unity state, Longkumer was injured in a shootout between Government forces of Unity and Lakes States. He resumed duties after undergoing necessary medical treatment in the Mission area and Zion Hospital, Dimapur.
Longkumer will return home by the end of July 2012 after completion of 20 months in the Mission. He was initially deployed for a year but the tenure was extended by the UN for another year in the new Mission. (July 2011 to July 2012).
