Military Diplomacy

China's Peacekeeping Engineer Detachment to South Sudan Completes Repair of the 'Tonj–Romich' Supply Route

我赴南苏丹维和工兵分队完成“通季—罗米奇”补给线修复任务

PLA Daily (解放军报) 11 May 2026

Summary

China's 16th Peacekeeping Engineer Detachment to South Sudan (Wau) completed repairs on the 112-kilometer Tonj–Romich supply route, deploying 41 personnel and 23 vehicles in a field-camping operation that earned formal praise from UNMISS. The report is routine in content—a standard PLA Daily feature on a completed UN peacekeeping engineering task—but is useful as a data point on China's sustained operational presence in South Sudan and its continued use of peacekeeping deployments to demonstrate engineering capability and build local goodwill.

Translation

China's Peacekeeping Engineer Detachment to South Sudan Completes Repair of the 'Tonj–Romich' Supply Route

PLA Daily News, reported by special correspondent Wang Yi: Recently, the 16th Chinese Peacekeeping Engineer Detachment to South Sudan (Wau) successfully completed the repair mission of the 'Tonj–Romich' supply route, fully restoring road trafficability and bringing convenience to the transportation of humanitarian relief supplies and the travel of local residents. The mission received high praise from UNMISS.

This supply route stretches 112 kilometers in total and is a critically important supply line within South Sudan, serving as a vital artery for the daily travel of local residents and the transfer of goods. Due to erosion from the natural environment and damage caused by heavy vehicle traffic, the road surface and drainage systems suffered severe deterioration, with some sections developing continuous potholes that rendered them impassable.

After receiving the mission, the engineer detachment scientifically formulated a construction plan based on actual road conditions, adopting a model of segmented construction, simultaneous advancement, and rotating shifts to press through key difficulties, while holding firm to the bottom line of construction safety and engineering quality and steadily advancing project progress. At the mission site, faced with multiple difficulties including numerous road collapse points, rudimentary construction conditions, and a complex security situation, the officers and soldiers developed a practical 'five-step method' (五步法) for road repair, forming a standardized operational procedure. In response to the situation in which the road surface, after being washed by rainwater and repeatedly compacted by vehicles, was prone to damage again, the officers and soldiers traveled more than one hundred kilometers round-trip each day to haul harder red clay soil, laying it in layers on the road surface and then successively using a grader for fine leveling and a road roller for compaction and shaping. At the same time, during breaks between tasks, the detachment proactively provided assistance to villages, hospitals, and schools along the route, conveying friendship and warmth through concrete action.

It is understood that this construction effort committed 41 personnel and deployed 23 vehicles and pieces of equipment, with operations conducted entirely through field camping outside the base. After the completion of this supply route repair, the detachment's officers and soldiers will continue to hold their posts, efficiently complete all tasks assigned by the United Nations, and continue to contribute to local peace and stability.

Original Chinese

我赴南苏丹维和工兵分队完成“通季—罗米奇”补给线修复任务解放军报讯特约记者王轶报道：近日，中国第16批赴南苏丹（瓦乌）维和工兵分队圆满完成“通季—罗米奇”补给线修复任务，全面恢复道路通行能力，为人道主义救援物资运输和当地民众出行带来便利，受到联南苏团高度评价。此条补给线全长112公里，是南苏丹境内一条非常重要的补给线，是当地民众日常出行、物资转运的交通要道。受自然环境侵蚀和重型车辆碾压影响，道路路面和排水系统损毁严重，部分路段出现连续坑洼难以通行。我工兵分队受领任务后，结合道路实际科学制订施工方案，采取分段施工、同步推进、轮班攻坚的模式，坚守施工安全和工程质量底线，稳步推进工程进度。任务现场，面对道路塌陷点位多、施工条件简陋、安全形势复杂等多重困难，官兵探索出贴合实际的道路修复“五步法”，形成标准化作业流程。针对路面经雨水冲刷、车辆反复碾压容易再度损坏的情况，官兵每日往返百余公里拉运更为硬实的红土，分层铺垫路面，依次使用平地机精细整平、压路机压实定型。同时，分队在任务间隙还主动为沿线村庄、医院和学校提供帮助，用实际行动传递友谊和温暖。据了解，此次施工投入兵力41人，出动车辆装备23台，全程采取在外宿营方式展开作业。该补给线修复结束后，分队官兵将继续坚守岗位，高效完成联合国赋予的各项任务，持续为当地和平稳定贡献力量。