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The Nigerian Army has deployed 173 officers and troops to Guinea Bissau as part of an ECOWAS peacekeeping operation to reinforce and enhance security in the West African sub-region.
Major General Oluwafemi Akinjobi, Chief of Operations, Army Headquarters, revealed this on Thursday during the graduation and pre-deployment training of troops from the Martin Luther Agwai Peacekeeping Centre in Jaji, Kaduna State.
They are intended to leave Nigeria shortly following their induction; therefore the graduation comes before their departure to Bissau, Guinea Bissau’s capital.
The Chief of Operations, represented by Major General Zakari Abubakar, addressed the troops, warning them to follow the rules of engagement, act bravely as professionals, and respect the cultural sensitivity of the Guinea Bissau people.
In his words, “Nigeria remains the beacon of peace and gatekeeper of the ECOWAS sub-region. Consequently, the Federal Government of Nigeria is committed to the deployment of a contingent to maintain peace in the Republic of Guinea Bissau.
“The history of peacekeeping in Africa cannot be written without the commitment and sacrifices of Nigeria. The first contingent of Nigerian peacekeepers was deployed in 1960 shortly after our independence.
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“Since then, Nigeria has contributed over 100,000 peacekeepers in over 40 peacekeeping missions in Africa and across the globe. I must say with pride that our peacekeepers have had to restore peace in many conflict areas around the globe which has earned Nigeria many national and individual commendations from several nations.”
Abubakar emphasized the UN’s zero tolerance policy on drug trafficking and human rights violations to the soldiers.
He also advised them to stay away from indecent individuals who could destroy the image of the Nigerian Army and the country as a whole.
Major General Auwal Fagge, the Commandant of the Martin Luther Agwai Peacekeeping Centre, also stressed the necessity of pre-deployment training in his remarks.
The training, he added, is in accordance with the Nigerian Army’s objective to ensure that personnel undergo the necessary comprehensive and theater-specific pre-deployment training before being inducted into peacekeeping missions.
Fagge expressed optimism that the soldiers’ and officers’ high levels of enthusiasm and camaraderie will reflect in their overseas operations.
