Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

Hanbit unit, made a “Miracle on the Nile River” in the land of dispute

Prevented Bor city from flood by reconstruction of parking ramp and runway at Bor airport, main roads and banks
 

The photo is from Bor, the state capital of Jonglei, located 180km north of Juba, the capital city of South Sudan on July 8, one day before the third independence day(July 9) of South Sudan.

Bor city, where the Hanbit unit was sent for refugee aid and reconstruction support as a member of United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) on April 4 last year welcomed the third independence anniversary in an atmosphere of peace as if there were no fierce civil war at all.

In this atmosphere, the “Miracle on the Nile River” achieved by the Hanbit soldiers over a year and three months in South Sudan, the land of dispute, is making results.

The White Nile, the lifeline of northeastern Africa, flows through Bor city where the unit is doing reconstruction work. This is where the Hanbit unit (meaning a bright and great light leading the world) has been focusing on reconstruction for a year and three months including weekends since their dispatch to Bor.

Since last May, 290 soldiers of the third are on duty following the first and second.

For the first three months of operation, they started clearing a post area that was a jungle and wetland, then concentrated on temporary military camp installation, connection of electric power and communications network, well-digging work and post protection establishment.

As the base was being arranged, the unit’s reconstruction work gathered momentum.

It especially stands out in Social Overhead Capital (SOC) work. The unit led the repair work of a parking ramp and runway at Bor airport, the mission assigned by UNMISS.

They undertook emergency restoration of an 18km-long ruined main road and washed-out banks due to the heavy rain up the Nile.

With this work, Bor city, populated with around 200,000 people, could safely make it through a crisis of flooding.

Hanbit unit also took the initiative in improvement of the refugee centers within the UN base in Bor city during the South Sudan civil war, which broke out in December last year.

They prevented various infectious diseases through garbage collection, wastewater treatment and support for preventive measures in the center.

Director of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Bor city expressed his amazement looking at the refugee center so quickly improved with the Hanbit unit’s support, saying that many NGOs show their respect for the Korean Army’s performance.

As the Bor area regained stability, Hanbit soldiers opened Taekwondo, football and music classes for local children and students as well as received a great response by giving performances such as Nanta and samulnori, a Korean traditional percussion quartet.

“We keep striving to bring the miracle of the Nile to the people of South Sudan just like the one of Han River, planting a hope that they can also do it,” said the relevant unit official.

By Seok-Jong, Lee < seokjong@dema.mil.kr >

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