RDF peacekeepers decorated in Darfur

AFTER seven months of serving under the African Union-United Nations hybrid mission in Darfur (UNAMID) Rwanda Defence Force (RDF)’s battalion, Rwanbatt33, 71 Infantry battalion was, Thursday, awarded medals in El Fasher, Sudan.Speaking during the ceremony, the guest of honour, UNAMID Force Commander, Lt Gen Patrick Nyamvumba commended the peacekeepers’ commitment and professionalism.“Your commitment to UNAMID and professionalism which you have always demonstrated is a source of pride to us and your country,” he said.He congratulated the peacekeepers for the great role in making the force’s operations effective.“With pleasure and satisfaction, I acknowledge the important role that each one of you has played to strengthen UNAMID’s operational effectiveness. You have indeed followed the Rwandan tradition of serving humanity,” he emphasized.He also thanked the Government of Rwanda for promoting peace in Darfur.“Your deployment to Darfur would not have been possible without the commitment and cooperation of the Government of Rwanda. I therefore wish to extend our sincere thanks and gratitude to the Government of Rwanda for releasing you to serve the United Nations and the African Union in search for peace in Darfur”Col. Eugene Nkubito, the Rwandan contingent commander, said that Rwanbatt33 contributed immensely to the protection of civilians through its patrols and robust operations.He added that the battalion completed two Quick Impact Projects (schools) for Abushouk Internal Displaced Persons (IDP) Camp.The Force Commander hailed these projects for the development of the people of Darfur as well as its role in maintaining good relations between the Force and local community.UNAMID medals are issued in recognition of the peacekeepers who have served for not less than 90 days.Beyond peacekeeping, Rwandan men and women in uniform have helped improve the lives of the people in the communities they operate.Last month, the peacekeepers in Darfur unveiled a women’s market they helped fund and construct in West Darfur.While handing over the market to the local population, the Commanding Officer of Rwanbatt 30, Lt. Col. Christopher Rutaremara, said the choice to construct a women’s market was to raise the welfare of families through women basing on Rwandan culture where the “ woman is indeed the heart of the family.” The Rwandan contingents have introduced Umuganda [community work] initiatives wherever they operate in Darfur. They have also helped built schools for communities in Zam Zam, Kabkabiya and El Fasher in North Darfur.In October this year, when Judy Cheng-Hopkins, the UN Assistant Secretary General for Peace building Support visited Rwanda, she saluted the professionalism of Rwandan peacekeepers. “Rwanda is a model country when it comes to professional peacekeeping missions, systematic demobilisation of soldiers and reconciliation processes,” Cheng-Hopkins told journalists during a press briefing in Kigali.Rwanda was recently ranked as the sixth leading contributor to UN peacekeepers in the world, with about 3,200 soldiers in the United Nations African Union Hybrid Mission in Darfur, (UNAMID) and 850 in South Sudan under the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).The country also maintains about 500 police officers deployed in Haiti, Liberia, Sierra Leon, Sudan, and South Sudan and Ivory Coast.Its officers have been awarded for their professionalism and discipline in executing their duties by the UN. The UN also ranked Rwanda the first of 84 countries in providing female individual police officers.The United Nations has also requested Rwanda to deploy a contingent of Formed Police Unit in Liberia next year.