NTONO, A SHINING STAR IN SOMALIA



It is said that Africa cannot achieve its agenda for peace without the involvement of the youth and women in nation-building, conflict resolution, and peace processes.

Perhaps this is the reason why, across the continent, more and more women are working with courage and determination for the realisation of a peaceful, progressive and prosperous Africa.


Take, for example, Mildred Ntono, a 39-year-old mother of four, who, for the past several months, has been on the frontlines actively participating and contributing to the restoration of peace and security in Somalia.

With 17 years of service in the Uganda Police Force, Inspector Mildred is one of 33 female peacekeepers deployed with the Ugandan contingent under the police component of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).

She believes involving women in peacekeeping will save the world from conflicts because of their ability to de-escalate tensions with great effect, due to their possession of soft skills like communication and patience.

“With such soft skills, women can easily gain the trust and confidence of the local people and foster social cohesion, which is exactly what we are doing out there interacting with Somalis from all walks of life,” Ntono says.

But then, women and children are also the biggest casualties of war, due to their vulnerabilities. This is where Ntono’s one-year tour of duty in Somalia with AMISOM comes in handy as she has done her best to address this problem.

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