Okafor Emmanuel

CHINAS FIRST COMBAT DISASTER

In July 2016, Chinese peacekeeping soldiers found themselves embroiled in a full-scale war in Juba, the capital of South Sudan. Following the incident, criticism was directed at the individual Chinese soldiers and the commanders of the United Nations peacekeeping mission for their perceived failure to protect citizens and valuable humanitarian resources. A Washington-based non-profit analysis pointed out that Chinese soldiers had allegedly abandoned their posts and refused orders to return fire. However, the situation might be more complex than initially portrayed.