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SOUTH SUDAN / MANGALA MARINE UNIT
STORY: SOUTH SUDAN / MANGALA MARINE UNIT
TRT: 05:13
SOURCE: UNMISS
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 28 MAY 2022, MANGALA, SOUTH SUDAN
DATELINE: 28 May 2022, MANGALA, SOUTH SUDAN
1. Various shots, delegation on barges
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Qazi Masroor Ullah, Acting Director of Mission Support, United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS):
“This logistic operation is called Operation Lifeline. When I say ‘lifeline’ it really means that in literal meaning. It’s a lifeline for the mission because we carry all the logistic goods, especially life-saving goods like fuel, rations, and all of our stores to the areas where road communications aren’t there, so we use this river route to do that. So, this is very important for us.”
3. Various shots, UNMISS Chief Nicholas Haysom
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Nicholas Haysom, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General und Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS):
“I think we have to take a step back and recognize that in a country that is as challenged as this one for road transport, the river is a very accessible, efficient and cheap form of transport. With a view to exploiting that arises the question of having the necessary Force protection to guard our patrols and that responsibility has fallen on the Bangladeshi Marine Unit.”
5. Various shots, Bangladeshi Marine Unit
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Qazi Masroor Ullah, Acting Director of Mission Support, United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS):
“We did not have any dedicated accommodation arrangement for them. They had to stay just in a normal tent over the fuel barges. Under them, there are millions of liters of fuel. From the safety point of view there are restrictions—you cannot charge your mobile, you can’t switch on electricity, there is no air conditioning.”
7. Various shots, Haysom and delegation
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Nicholas Haysom, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General und Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS):
“We are here today because the Marine Unit has had a significant upgrade in its accommodation, from a situation where really the accommodation was sub-standard. And we have finally been able to address it. We had the opportunity to engage with the Unit, find out what exactly they do—not only what they do on a day-by-day basis but where it fits in with the overall operations.”
9. Various shots, Bangladeshi Marine Unit on the boat
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Main Ullah Chowdhury, Acting Force Commander, United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS):
“They are bringing about a lot of advantages to the mission, particularly as you know, it’s not easy to transport things here, given the situation that mobility is restricted, the weather is the challenge and there is not much infrastructure, so taking advantage of the river Nile, they are carrying a lot of goods, which is quite economical and not that time-consuming. Within 12 – 15 days, resources are available there in Upper. They’re not doing it for the first time, they have done it 52 times ever since they have deployed here, and this is the 53rd one where they are going to take the new accommodation barge that they have.”
11. Various shots, Haysom walking around
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Nicholas Haysom, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General und Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS):
“I think there’s an increasing appreciation of the need for the mission to be more agile and mobile and to cover more ground in its operations and, of course, access through the river gives us another arrow in our quiver, so to speak. But I’m also conscious that there could be elections here in the near future, or near to medium-term future, which will impose quite significant responsibilities to look after the logistics—elections are logistics-heavy—and that will certainly implicate our riverine elements as well as our road transport elements.”
13. Tilt down, from ship’s bridge to Haysom and delegation
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) Bangladeshi Marine Unit received a brand-new accommodation barge, an essential infrastructural upgrade for increased operational readiness.
The river Nile waterway is critical for UNMISS peacekeepers from Bangladesh stationed at Mangala port to supply essential rations, fuel, and equipment, to their counterparts in Malakal, Upper Nile.
SOUNDBITE (English) Qazi Masroor Ullah, Acting Director of Mission Support, United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS):
“This logistic operation is called Operation Lifeline. When I say ‘lifeline’ it really means that in literal meaning. It’s a lifeline for the mission because we carry all the logistic goods, especially life-saving goods like fuel, rations, and all of our stores to the areas where road communications aren’t there, so we use this river route to do that. So, this is very important for us.”
Peacekeepers traverse 1,000 kilometers by water, crossing 42 checkpoints, carrying enormous amounts of supplies that enable the UNMISS presence in Malakal to sustain itself for more than three months at a stretch.
SOUNDBITE (English) Nicholas Haysom, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General und Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS):
“I think we have to take a step back and recognize that in a country that is as challenged as this one for road transport, the river is a very accessible, efficient and cheap form of transport. With a view to exploiting that arises the question of having the necessary Force protection to guard our patrols and that responsibility has fallen on the Bangladeshi Marine Unit.”
The perils of the water are not the only challenge that seven rotations of Bangladeshi peacekeepers have faced; their living conditions were extremely dire. They were sleeping in tents above fuel containers, an arrangement that brought with it strict security restrictions.
SOUNDBITE (English) Qazi Masroor Ullah, Acting Director of Mission Support, United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS):
“We did not have any dedicated accommodation arrangement for them. They had to stay just in a normal tent over the fuel barges. Under them, there are millions of liters of fuel. From the safety point of view there are restrictions—you cannot charge your mobile, you can’t switch on electricity, there is no air conditioning.”
SOUNDBITE (English) Nicholas Haysom, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General und Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS):
“We are here today because the Marine Unit has had a significant upgrade in its accommodation, from a situation where really the accommodation was sub-standard. And we have finally been able to address it. We had the opportunity to engage with the Unit, find out what exactly they do—not only what they do on a day-by-day basis but where it fits in with the overall operations.”
SOUNDBITE (English) Main Ullah Chowdhury, Acting Force Commander, United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS):
“They are bringing about a lot of advantages to the mission, particularly as you know, it’s not easy to transport things here, given the situation that mobility is restricted, the weather is the challenge and there is not much infrastructure, so taking advantage of the river Nile, they are carrying a lot of goods, which is quite economical and not that time-consuming. Within 12 – 15 days, resources are available there in Upper. They’re not doing it for the first time, they have done it 52 times ever since they have deployed here, and this is the 53rd one where they are going to take the new accommodation barge that they have.”
SOUNDBITE [ENGLISH] Nicholas Haysom, Special Representative of the Secretary-General & Head of UNMISS
“I think there’s an increasing appreciation of the need for the mission to be more agile and mobile and to cover more ground in its operations and, of course, access through the river gives us another arrow in our quiver, so to speak. But I’m also conscious that there could be elections here in the near future, or near to medium-term future, which will impose quite significant responsibilities to look after the logistics—elections are logistics-heavy—and that will certainly implicate our riverine elements as well as our road transport elements.”
The new accommodation barge that will provide a much-needed respite to these peacekeepers as they carry out their duties.
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