By Kingsley Omonobi-abuja.
Defence minister, Dr. Bello Haliru Mohammed, has expressed satisfaction with the commencement last week of airlift of arms, beddings, operational vehicles and other logistic items to over 3,300 military peace keepers currently serving under the auspices of the United Nations – African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) and UNMIL in Liberia.
Defence minister, Dr. Bello Haliru Mohammed, has expressed satisfaction with the commencement last week of airlift of arms, beddings, operational vehicles and other logistic items to over 3,300 military peace keepers currently serving under the auspices of the United Nations – African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) and UNMIL in Liberia.
The Minister stated this in Abuja while reviewing preliminary reports on the airlift exercise which he directed last week following an approval of landing rights granted by the Sudanese Government to fly the much-needed Contingent-Owned Equipment (COE) for the effective performance of the Nigerian Peace Keepers.
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air Chief Marshal Oluseyi Petinrin last week obtained the Minister’s approval to engage a carrier, as well as mobilize all relevant officers to ensure successful and timely deployment to the mission areas taking into consideration the urgency in the mission and the approval date of the landing rights.
Actual airlift commenced last Tuesday while at least 15 No. cargo flights are expected for Sudan alone. Cargo flights to Liberia are also being estimated by the Defence authorities at press time.
The airlift exercise is an immediate follow-up to the Minister’s recent official visit to Sudan during which he assessed the state of the Nigerian troops to see how their contribution to the peace process could be more effective and meaningful. He was accompanied by the CDS and other top officials of the nation’s defence establishment.
Describing as total, the Federal Government’s commitment to the peace process in Darfur, Bello said, “Nigeria has committed a lot of efforts and men to the UNAMID because we feel this is an African situation and we have a responsibility to contribute to its resolution. Nigeria is now the largest contributor to troops; we will make efforts to equip our troops to the highest standards required by the United Nations. Our commitment is absolute. We will not waiver”.
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