Engaging Community Voices

Engaging Community Voices in Protection Strategies: An Appraisal of the United Nations’ Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS)

The Sudd Institute and the Stimson Center are assessing peacekeeping strategies that the UN uses to protect civilians in South Sudan. The study has two primary goals. The first goal is to ensure that new guidance on the protection of civilians in the context of peacekeeping, produced at UN headquarters, is implemented successfully in the field, making a real difference in the lives of civilians under threat. The second goal seeks to identify good practices that facilitate the engagement of UN actors with conflict-affected communities, and vice versa. This ensures that priorities and perceptions of beneficiary communities are factored into the development and monitoring of UN peacekeeping protection strategies. 

Aweil North County, Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, given its vulnerability to frequent external aggressions, was chosen for the first part of this study. A sample of over 700 residence-stratified households was selected using the 2008 Census frames known as the Enumeration Areas (EAs).

The survey was conducted in April 2013, with the data being presently reviewed and the report expected to be released sometime in September 2013.