Residents in Magwi County are rejoicing, and for good reason. Thanks to a new police post in the village of Loa, funded by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and recently handed over to local authorities, they feel much better protected and have more faith in the rule of law.

“It means we no longer need to go all the way, about twenty kilometers, to Nimule if we need the police or have something to report,” said Margrate Oliver, Head Chief of Pageri, adding that the local population has sometimes felt compelled to contact the military for law enforcement assistance.

The construction of the building, which is one of the peacekeeping mission’s low-cost, long-lasting Quick Impact Projects benefitting local communities, cost $50,000. Apart from office space, the police post also sports an investigation room and detention cells.

As it happens, the timing of the handover couldn’t have been better. With 350 police officers set to graduate shortly, the new facilities are likely to become the professional home for some of them.

“I think this place will give maybe 25 more officers a decent workplace, which is of course encouraging,” confirmed Brigadier General Deng Garang Jurkuch, Acting Police Commissioner of Eastern Equatoria State.

Enhanced law enforcement and security in the Pageri area may contribute to the return of residents who are currently internally displaced or refugees.

“That is a possibility, which is another reason we encourage the deployment of police officers to offer better protection for vulnerable groups like women, their children, and returnees,” commented Mark Omina, an UNMISS representative who attended the handover ceremony.