As the Federal Government deploys another 906 officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army on peace enforcement in Mali, the army authority said it has so far recorded zero casualty in the Mali operation.

The troops, which include 57 officers, are to replace the previous troops deployed to Mali last January.

Speaking at the graduation of the troops’ pre-deployment training, at the Nigerian Army Peace Keeping Centre (NAPKC), Jaji, near Kaduna, the head of African-led International Support Mission in Mali (AFISMA) Monitoring Team, Major General Chinedu Ugwu, said Nigeria’s performance in Mali has been excellent.

He was quick to note that Nigerian Army has not lost any soul in the ongoing operation in the Mali.

According to him, “the Nigerian Army has been performing very well and the host country, Mali is happy to have the Nigerian contingent. In fact, in the areas where the Nigerian troops are deployed, like Rere and Niara, the people are always happy with them, to the extent that they donate food items to them. They said they want Nigeria to be with them and that is why we have the Force Commander there. They are all happy and our performance is excellent.

“The essence of the pre-deployment training for NIBATT 2 is to rotate the present troops in Mali. They will be rotated after six months And so far, no causalities recorded on our part.”

Addressing the 906 officers and soldiers, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 2 Division Nigerian Army, Major General Ahmed Jibrin, warned the troops to avoid trafficking of illicit drugs, as they embark on the trip and respect the cultural and religious sensitivity of the people of Mali.

He said the nature of peacekeeping operations have changed and take place in complex environments characterised by challenging issues like, destroyed infrastructure, economic collapse and human suffering.

While noting that despite the challenges, Nigeria would continue to live up to its commitment in safeguarding world peace, the GOC told the troops to defend themselves when necessary.

According to him, “you can fight to discharge your mandate when the need arises to do so, especially to protect yourself, your colleague or persons and property in your care. You must remember that the rules of engagement are to serve guidance in the use and application of force.”

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http://sunnewsonline.com/new/national/nigeria-records-zero-casualty-in-mali-army/