The Nigerian Army says, it has deployed over a Hundred Thousand peacekeepers to forty peacekeeping missions in Africa and across the world since Independence.
The Chief of Training and Operations at the Army Headquarters, Major General Nuhu Angbazo said this at the graduation ceremony of Nigerian Medical contingent for the United Nations Multi-dimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali, (MINUSMA), at the Martin Luther Agwai International Leadership And Peacekeeping Centre, Jaji.
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Represented by the Director of Peacekeeping Operations, Major General Emeka Onumajuru, General Nuhu Angbazo said that, the mission is to ensure security and stability in Africa, with specific emphasis on the West African sub-region.
He said that participating in peace support operations is one of the specific tasks of the Armed forces, in realizing the international peace and security objectives.
The Commandant of the Martin Luther Agwai International Leadership And Peace Keeping Centre, Major General James Ataguba, explained that the participants were introduced to UN peacekeeping, which covered, the principles of peacekeeping, working as one in a mission, mission partners and comprehensive protection of civilians.
He maintained that the contingents were also trained on basic life support and advanced life support training, which according to him, is the first time to be conducted during a pre-deployment training.
A total of fifty-nine Nigerian Medical contingent were deployed to Mali, after undergoing a three week training.
(Editor: Ifeanyi Mark)
