Kofi Ampeah Woode
The Corrections Department of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has held a Medals Day Parade to award the gallant, dedicated and hardworking Correctional Officers in the Mission.
On Wednesday 1 February, 2023, the medal-awarding event took place at Malakal, at the Rwanda Formed Police Unit parade square, and saw a number of dignitaries gracing the occasion, such as; Chief Corrections Officer – Mr Abdul Arshad, Deputy Chief of Corrections – Madam Phaello M Olivia, Protection of Civilians Coordinator – Mr Ynge Isaksen Wiik.
The rest were Rwanda Formed Police Commander – Senior Superintendent Prudence Ngendahimana, Deputy Commander of Rwanda FPU – Superintendent Eneste Mugema, Chief of United Nation Department for Safety and Security – Malakal Mr Farouk Barsha, amongst others.
The awardees were: Deputy Commissioner of Prisons Augustine Njuku from Nigeria Prisons, Deputy Commissioner of Prisons Lyyli Alexander – Namibia, Assistant Commissioner of Prisons Munana Mugisha – Rwanda, Lieutenant Colonel Ayser Khleffat – Jordan, Chief Superintendent Julius Quarshie – Ghana, Superintendent Frederick Johnson – Ghana/Security and Operations Unit/HQ, Superintendent of Prisons Charles Ooko – Kenya, Superintendent Krubo Syrion – Liberia, Chief Inspector Aidah – Kenya, Cpl Claudio Santos – Portugal, and Ann Murrithi – Kenya,
The medal parade which was under the command of Superintendent Frederick Johnson of Ghana, had Correctional Officers drawn from other counties to grace the occasion, in which the Reviewing Officer – Mr Abdul Arshad, admonished the awardees to continue to be discipline, hardworking than before to achieve the mandate of the UNMISS.
UN Peacekeeping Justice and Corrections Services (JCS) aims at ensuring that offenders can serve out their sentences in a humane environment, as the first step towards their eventual reintegration as productive members of society.
Equipped with justice and corrections expertise, and with support from JCS, peacekeeping missions assist host countries to deliver essential justice and prison services, strengthen criminal justice systems, and facilitate the rule of law reforms by extending justice and corrections institutions in conflict-affected areas, and by enhancing prison security and management.
According to the UNMISS mandate, UN Corrections and Advisors are tasked with supporting the government in strengthening prisons and criminal justice systems to end prolonged, arbitrary detention and establishing a safe, secure and humane prison system, however, UN’s Action for Peacekeeping (A4P) enables host countries and other stakeholders to take appropriate measures to bring to justice, perpetrators of criminal acts against UN peacekeepers.
