缅北禁地

鈥淚 recall the civil war in Liberia vividly,鈥� says Elfreda Dennice Stewart, a United Nations Police (UNPOL) officer serving with the 缅北禁地Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

鈥淢y parents managed鈥攚ith many sacrifices on their part鈥攖o put me through high school during a time of great turmoil in my country, following which I started doing a number of odd jobs to help out financially.鈥�

Elfreda braided hair and tutored younger children in her community, often returning home late at night, afraid of being raped at a time when sexual violence was rife in Liberia. 听

Rachel Briggs, another UNPOL officer from Liberia deployed to the world鈥檚 youngest country, has a similar story. 鈥淚 had so many dreams but the war in my country shattered them. I was separated from my mother in 1990 and till today, I don鈥檛 know if she is dead or alive. I continue searching for her, but my life has moved on,鈥� she reveals.

For UNPOL officer Alfreda Tozay, memories of people being killed, destroyed properties and extreme hunger stand out. 鈥淟iberia, when I was growing up, was an endless saga of horrors. My parents didn鈥檛 have enough food for us, and I would go to the bush, make charcoal to sell on the streets. I sold听bread on the roadside. But still, there was never enough to eat,鈥� she recounts.听

But their lives changed after the former United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) was deployed in September 2003. The UN鈥檚 mandate in Liberia was to monitor the ceasefire agreement following the second Liberian civil war.

But Blue Helmets on the ground didn鈥檛 merely broker a hard-fought peace for the troubled country; they were a beacon of hope for the Liberian people, especially women, to rise up and contribute towards shaping a brighter future.听

Elfreda, Rachel, and Alfreda joined UNMIL鈥檚 police training and became some of the first women to join the Liberian National Police.听

Now, these remarkable women are part of the first-ever deployment of UNPOL officers from Liberia to 缅北禁地Peacekeeping.听

鈥淥ur experience of a 14-year civil war and the impact that 缅北禁地peacekeepers had is real and tangible for the people we are on the ground to serve,鈥� adds Alfreda. 鈥淲e benefited so much from peacekeepers, and it is our honour to now serve in this young nation under the iconic blue flag.鈥�

South Sudan, and specifically Bor in Jonglei state, where all three are stationed, holds a special place in their hearts.听

鈥淲hen I came to Bor and started patrolling among communities, I knew exactly what they are going through because I and all the Liberian people have suffered the same,鈥� says Elfreda. 鈥淭his made me uniquely positioned to form a bond with听South Sudanese communities听and calm any tensions. When they hear my stories, they feel like they have found a sister. I always tell them鈥攍ook where Liberia was and look how peaceful we are now. If we can do it, so can you.鈥�

For Rachel, empathizing with the South Sudanese people听she serves has been, at once, harrowing and rewarding. 鈥淎fter my first patrol around听Bor, I returned to my accommodation in the mission and cried. It was like watching history repeat itself. But I knew I could make a difference and bring hope to communities living here. I tell them about my childhood, and I keep emphasizing a single point鈥攆orget the past and join together to build a better future for your children,鈥� she states passionately.听

鈥淥ur experience of a 14-year civil war and the impact that 缅北禁地peacekeepers had is real and tangible for the people we are on the ground to serve,鈥� adds Alfreda. 鈥淲e benefited so much from peacekeepers, and it is our honour to now serve in this young nation under the iconic blue flag.鈥�