Thiik asks UN peacekeepers to clean Juba every Saturday

The City Council deputy mayor for infrastructure, Thiik Thiik, has asked the UN peacekeepers to clean Juba every Saturday.

Thiik was speaking during the clean up campaign organized by the ministry of environment to mark the World Environment Day.

“You people of UNMISS have been hearing from our leaders, starting from the president to the five vice presidents. They say this country will not go back to war . So, you are here to contribute to the development and this is the development,” Thiik said. “I want you every Saturday to please come out with your forces; let us clean this city together.”

The deputy mayor said the UN mission was focusing on peace building and protection but since there is no more civil war, the forces should “free Juba from garbage”.

“We will be talking to our citizens to join you so that we can free Juba from garbage,” he stated. “Take note of this, starting from coming Saturday, we want all the forces of UNMISS from Jebel (UNMISS compound) and here (Airport UNMISS head office) to start cleaning.”

Thiik added:

“We don’t want you to be sitting in UNMISS, there is no anymore fighting. This is the time you make the roads and development to the people of South Sudan.”

For his part, the representative of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, Brig.- Gen Marine Rasing, said they were ready to work and partner with environmental organizations in reducing environmental pollution in South Sudan.

“Any organization working in waste management should connect with us to fulfil this together,” Marine said.

On Monday morning, UN troops collected garbage and cleaned the Airport road on the World Environment Day.

World Environment Day is celebrated every year on 5 June to create awareness and action for the protection of the environment globally.

This year, the day was being celebrated under the global theme: “Beat plastic pollution”; and at the national level: “Together we can stop plastic pollution.”

South Sudan is set to celebrate this day on June 22.