New Zealand Defence Force Deployment to South Sudan
DefenceDefence Minister Ron Mark has announced that a further person will join New Zealand’s current contribution of four personnel to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan.
The New Zealand Defence Force Brigadier will undertake the Chief of Staff role in the mission and will assume the role this week. The term is for one year. The UN mission is current led by New Zealander David Shearer.
“New Zealand’s contribution to United Nations peacekeeping in South Sudan is longstanding and important. This is an opportunity for New Zealand to further contribute to the mission in a military leadership role,” Ron Mark says.
“South Sudan is one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. The United Nations Mission in South Sudan does important and thankless work in a very tough environment.”
“The UN mission is responsible for providing essential protection to civilians, monitoring and investigating human rights conditions, and supporting the delivery of humanitarian assistance.”
The Defence Force had personnel deployed to Sudan from 2005 to 2011. Following the independence of South Sudan in 2011, Defence Force personnel were shifted to the newly established United Nations Mission in South Sudan in 2012.
About the mission:
Shortly after South Sudan’s independence in July 2011, the United Nations Security Council established the United Nations Mission in the Republic of South Sudan.
Protection of civilians is at the core of the Mission’s mandate. Over 200,000 South Sudanese are currently taking refuge at sites provided by the United Nations Mission.
More information on NZDF’s overseas deployments can be found here https://defence.govt.nz/what-we-do/diplomacy-and-deployments/deployment-map/