Strengthening UN Peacekeeping Strategies in South Sudan: Insights from a National Protection Officer

As peacekeepers face greater challenges than ever, participants at the preparatory conference for the 2023 United Nations Peacekeeping Ministerial gathered in Kigali, Rwanda to pledge to enhance protection of civilians and strategic communication in UN missions.
Conference participant, Bakhita Stephen Guet, fled to the UN base in Bentiu, South Sudan, when civil war erupted in 2013. She’s lived in the neighboring protection site since then. But today, instead of seeking refuge, she is driving efforts to empower the displaced community through her work as a National Protection Officer for the non-governmental organization, Nonviolent Peaceforce.