Buba E. Sanyang works with UNAMID at its sector headquarters in El Daein, East Darfur, where he is the Chief of Operations for the Sector East Police component.
Q: Tell us a bit about your work with UNAMID?
A: I started working with UNAMID in 2015 and was deployed to the Mission’s Team Site in Kass, South Darfur as a Patrol Officer. A few months later, I took over the Operations office and functioned as the Operations Officer for the Team Site. Subsequently, in March 2016, I became the Acting Team Site Commander for Kass.
In my current appointment as the Chief of Operations, Sector East Police component, I also function as the Acting Sector Commander.
Q: What, in your opinion, is your biggest achievement in your stint with UN peacekeeping?
A: During my tenure in Kass, we worked a lot to build trustful relationships between displaced persons, local communities and UNAMID. Aside from daily confidence-building patrols, we organized training programmes, sensitization workshops and held regular meetings with community leaders, government representatives and members of the displaced population. I found this deep engagement at the local level to be very fulfilling.
In a similar vein, I am proud of the joint UNAMID-Government of Sudan Police Committee we have established in El Daein; this forum has created a strong foundation for cooperation and capacity-building endeavors with the state police.
Q: In your opinion why it is important to invest in peace?
A: Peace promotes international security, reduces conflicts and makes countries governable. The absence of peace exposes states to failure. When a state fails, crime rates increase, which, in turn, endangers the lives of the ordinary people. Without peace, there can be no law and order. Moreover, there can be no development.