A Bangladesh force marine unit (BANFMU) is an important element of the south Asian country’s 1 600 plus component to the United Nations (UN) mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), ensuring freedom of movement along the White Nile River and tributaries in and around Malakal County of the Upper Nile State.
The 200-strong BANFMU has 12 boats, seemingly mostly rigid hulled inflatables, in its inventory and has been operational for more than two years with 88 patrols to its credit in the first eight months of this year.
UNMISS (UN Mission in South Sudan) correspondent Francesca Mold has it the waterways provided by the White Nile and its tributaries often are the only way to reach remote communities, thanks to a lengthy and heavy rain season.
UNMISS Force Commander, Lieutenant General Mohan Subramanian, remembering a patrol he was part of, said it was the first sight locals had of UN peacekeepers.
“They are not accessible by land and were totally isolated from the benefits the mission could provide.”
The arrival of BANFMU changed the landscape with UNMISS now able to support more people in need of protection and peacebuilding.
Before patrol work was added to its tasking list, BANFMU was delegated with protection of barge convoys supplying food, fuel and equipment to UNMISS northern bases. Dubbed “Operation Lifeline” a return journey for a barge convoy from Mangella, near Juba, to Malakal is close to 1 900 km and takes 45 days.
“The White Nile is not only vital to sustaining peacekeeping operations, but also a lifeline for communities across South Sudan,” said Captain Sheikh Shahid Ahmed, BANFMU Contingent Commander.
“When you have a river as productive as this, you have so much potential. Fishing is simple. There are other opportunities, like producing electricity, transportation and aquaculture. If we can ensure security people can explore and exploit options for livelihoods.”
BANFMU constantly measures water levels to assist in providing early warning of predicted flooding.
“The innovation shown in carrying out this task sounds simple. But it is critical for forward planning to ensure that, in the case of floods, we can reach areas of concern in time,” Subramanian said.
BANFMU is keen to expand activities if they can secure more personnel, equipment and other resources. One idea is to conduct a hydrographic survey measuring factors under water that affect marine activities.
“This river is sometimes a blessing but sometimes a curse with flooding and other issues. If you have the hydrographic survey, you can predict exactly at what time there will be flooding, which places will be affected and how you might manage the situation. This could benefit the mission as well as the people we serve,” the BANFMU Commander said.
