When a large proportion of the Norwegian force in Juba is punished for disciplinary matters abroad within a limited period of time, it is not only a disgrace for Norway and the Norwegian Armed Forces. Such misdeeds do something to the rest of us who have served in South Sudan. It can probably be imagined that some of my male colleagues have had to answer questions from their wives: “Were you involved in things like that?” Recently, a report was shown in prime time on news about Norwegian staff officers who were disciplined in the Armed Forces for matters involving the purchase of sexual services and the sexual exploitation of a local employee. The episodes took place in 2013 at the so-called Norskehuset in the capital Juba in South Sudan. The officers served in the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). Internally in the Norwegian Armed Forces, this publication does not really have any great news value. Many were already familiar with these conditions. What, however, becomes so clear through news’s reportage, is the complete absence of credible leadership. I have to admit that I allowed myself to be provoked by what was said and explained away. Something must have changed in the way of thinking. The fact that Norwegian officers appear to be fools on holiday in the world’s poorest country is far from deserved. Nor for the boss who was unable to handle the situation. No one remembers long working days in demanding environments anymore. Only negative posts that come up now afterwards. It is obvious that more focus should have been directed inwards, literally. I myself have served in South Sudan for two periods. In the last part of my deployment in 2021, I was commander (SNR) of the Norwegian military force in South Sudan. For the first time in the country, I stayed at Norskehuset when it was established in 2011. At that time, several enhanced security measures were considered. Attention was directed to an always imminent danger of burglary. I remember unpleasant episodes of occasional scattered shooting in the neighbourhood. It was discussed between us whether the local security guard, who earned about ten kroner a day, would really protect us with his life if someone actually attacked the house. Fortunately, we never found out. In this context, it would have been unthinkable for some of our own to bring African women they had met in a bar into this geographically limited area. This must have been noticed. Obviously, in the time after I went home, there must have been something that changed in the mindset, and the risk assessment of so many grown men at the same time. Awkward management Recently, the consulting agency PwC concluded that the Norwegian Armed Forces handle their whistleblowing cases too weakly. Young leadership and a lack of competence are highlighted as reasons why things can go as wrong as they actually have in many cases. Considering the many disciplinary cases in South Sudan, it is obvious that any measures taken against the personnel who served there in 2013 did not work well enough. Or not at all. Here, one cannot blame the young and inexperienced commander either. In a deplorable performance on news’s Dagsrevyen, it appears both incomprehensible and awkward when the then head of the force explains how he dealt with the situation. We must expect leadership that does not just aim to observe, but also acts. The system failure is palpable, as is the disclaimer. It oozes impertinence when it is signaled that the officers who served there, in the commander’s opinion, appeared to be there on holiday. The system failure is palpable, as is the disclaimer. This cannot be allowed to go unchallenged. Under demanding service conditions, good cohesion and care for each other is necessary. Also in peacekeeping operations, the employer has a duty to maintain a sound psychosocial working environment. It is crucial for both safety and well-being for everyone that unacceptable behavior is responded to. The employer cannot choose not to intervene. This is not least to prevent new incidents. This should of course be the case in South Sudan as well. Here, there clearly also rests a responsibility further up in the system. This as long as the Norwegian Armed Forces were made aware of the situation on the ground through weekly reports and conversations with local commanders. Difficulties with memory afterwards can happen even to the best. Unfortunately, this case is an example of how wrong things can actually go when an unculture gets a foothold, and is allowed to develop without immediate consequences for those involved. In South Sudan, it was a female officer who notified the case several times. Along the way, this must of course have cost her a lot. I think that this could just as easily have happened to me, and that my integrity and courage were put to the test. Then I hope that my boss would have used my notice as support in his further handling. That the boss appreciated that I “raised my hand”. My claim is that had it not been for the whistleblower’s courage and prudence, this would not have been investigated, with the personnel disciplined. The important signaling effect The Chief of Defence, who genuinely tries to meet whistleblowing issues, reacts to the events in South Sudan with words such as “unlucky” and “hopeless”. At the same time, it emerges that the Norwegian Armed Forces have sent out personnel who have proved unfit for foreign service, on new missions. It simply doesn’t work. One often allows oneself to wonder what it is that makes unacceptable behavior not have clear consequences. What about the signal effect? For example, are these cases from South Sudan not considered serious enough? With the Norwegian flag on the arm, South Sudan is characterized by humanitarian disasters and relentless violence. After the liberation from Sudan in 2011, there have been crises in a row for a severely tested population. Revenge attacks, murder, rape, military and civil strife and power struggles. When the wallet goes on four legs (cattle), this leads to grim ethnic conflicts between people groups. The country is crying out for emergency aid and humanitarian support, and the UN is providing one of the world’s largest UN contributions. Most who have served in this part of Africa do not remain unaffected. According to the UN, 70 percent of all violence and abuse affects women and children. The last thing these women need is foreign militaries that exploit the population sexually, something that is also combated through the UN’s expressed zero tolerance policy. Norway as a nation appears to be a role model for many other countries in the world. We continue to enjoy a high reputation, both on an individual level, and as a credible and solid actor in the international community. It is important to bear in mind that on a service mission you represent your country, and not just yourself. What we do is noticed, for better or for worse. I have to answer to my own family. The fact that some people did not behave in South Sudan changes something about my professional identity as an officer. I feel the need to respond to my own little family. That the long time spent with his mother away from home may have contributed to something positive for someone far away. That it wasn’t the opposite. That the vast majority of military personnel are equipped with the right attitudes and values. It wasn’t a vacation trip. Recognition for foreign service is an important political focus area, as part of a dignified veteran policy. Many veterans mentally struggle to sort out whether the trip out was really worth the strain. In the absence of other recognition, the absence of negative posts is also a form of veteran support. It is serious when the Armed Forces themselves manage to diminish the value of the efforts of so many. It is timely to call for a responsible and vigilant defense leadership that should definitely have prevented the large scale of negative events in South Sudan.
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