The Force Commander of UNAMID, Lieutenant General Patrick Nyamvumba, made the remark recently in Abuja, when he paid a courtesy call on the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. A.O. Ihejirika, in his office.
General Nyamvumba, who said he was in the country to brief the Nigerian military leadership on the state of affairs of the Darfur mission, expressed appreciation to the leadership and exemplary roles exhibited by Nigerian troops deployed in the mission.
He said the hybrid force had about 15, 200 troops; 99 per cent of whom were Africans, adding that Nigeria, with its current strength of troops along with military observers and staff officers, constituted a bulk of the force.
The commander noted that being almost an all-African affair, the mission could not afford to fail Africa.
Upon a visit to the Nigerian Army Peacekeeping Centre, Jaji, where he witnessed the pre-induction training going on, General Nyamvumba said he was impressed with the level of training and the high morale exhibited by the participating troops.
Responding, Ihejirika assured the FC of supports required to make UNAMID a success and commended him for finding time to visit the troops at Jaji to have a first-hand information and to witness the intending troops to UNAMID in training.
“Your visit to Jaji was a great morale booster to troops as it is normal that they will appreciate to see their commander even while in Nigeria,â€he said.
