Nigeria deploys 500 officers
NIGERIA's commitment of troops to the African-led International Support Mission in Mali, (AFISMA) may soon become a permanent one as the United Nations (UN) is already talking about a regular peacekeeping force in the French-speaking West African country.
Meanwhile, Defence Headquarters Thursday said that the Nigerian military has deployed over 500 officers and men to the AFISMA.
Speaking on Wednesday at the UN, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Hervé Ladsous, said to properly manage the Malian crisis, a UN peacekeeping operation is "the way to go," adding that the larger part of AFISMA, would be considered for co-option under a peacekeeping operation based on Security Council decision on the matter.
However, Nigeria, one of the five leading UN's troop contributing member-states, is the one likely expected to constitute a substantial number of such regular troops, UN sources said. Nigeria is supplying a battalion in Mali, like it is also playing significant roles around the world in other international peacekeeping missions, especially the one in Darfur, called UNAMID-the hybrid UN-African Mission in Sudan.
According to Ladsous, during a press briefing on the role in 2013 UN peacekeeping in Mali, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, "there was a shared desire in the international community to do what is needed to be done in Mali to end the conflict and resolve the issues that provoked it, and that a UN peacekeeping operation was "the way to go."
The military also deployed two Dassault-Breguet Dornier Alpha fighter jets and two Mi-35 Helicopters for the Malian operation. In addition, the Nigerian Contingent Air Component has deployed the C-130 Transport Hercules and the medium carrier, the G222 for the operation.
Nigeria pledged about 1,200 troops for the AFISMA comprising of a Nigerian Army battalion plus strength of 900 troops and Nigerian Air Force strength of 300 troops.
The Guardian
I hope the plan works before things get out of hand.
They really need it there