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“There is always a way forward if we seize the chance for change and choose peace.”

Working as a United Nations peacekeeper in Jonglei is a challenge at the best of times, but UN Police Officer, Shalemi Kumari, is relentlessly positive about the possibility of securing sustainable peace in the world's newest nation.

She works for the United Nations Mission in South Sudan in a region that is plagued by intercommunal conflict and severe climate shocks, including flooding which has affected 625,000 people this year.

Many of those displaced by the rising waters are sheltering in overcrowded public facilities or relocating to higher ground. Impassable roads are impacting humanitarian assistance, the already dire economic situation, and peacebuilding efforts.

Despite the challenges, Shalemi Kumari is committed to protecting vulnerable civilians by strengthening community policing and supporting preparations to ensure a secure environment for the country's first democratic elections. 

“The context here is one in which vulnerable people are adversely affected by crime and conflict. Our role is to reach out to these communities, particularly to address gender-based violence and conflict-related sexual violence, to ensure that victims' rights are realized and perpetrators held accountable.”

Utilizing her 22 years of experience as a criminal investigator, community policing officer and police prosecutor in her home country of Fiji, Shalemi Kumari is particularly focused on supporting women and girls, who are disproportionately impacted by conflict and often excluded from participating in political and peacebuilding activities.

“We go out into the communities to hear their concerns, make them aware of their rights and how to report incidents of violations and abuses,” she says.

“We also conduct training for the South Sudan National Police Service officers, advising, mentoring and empowering them, to build their capacity to protect their own citizens.”

For Shalemi, her work is a professional duty but also a personal commitment given how far she is away from her home on the other side of the world.

“I maintain contact with my family back home through daily phone and video calls,” she says.

“But to be honest, I don't feel lonely here. I have bonded with my colleagues and friends from various countries and regions. I feel like I now also have a family here in South Sudan.”

While the separation is difficult, the appreciation of her three children for her service in the cause of peace also gives her strength.

In every step she takes, she carries, not only, her duty as a peacekeeper, but also the heart of a mother determined to make South Sudan a better place for the next generation.