Over 350 Nepali soldiers honoured in Congo

The United Nations has honoured at least 351 members of the Nepali peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for their security operations and humanitarian work including the commander of the Nepali Battalion Commander Col Ram Chandra Khanal.

The members of the Nepali contingent (NEPBAT IX) were awarded the United Nations peacekeeping medal during a ceremony at their headquarters in Mahagi on 8 August 2008, for their loyal service rendered within the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC).

The ceremony was led by the Director of MONUC's Office in Ituri, Mrs. Olamide Adedeji and the Commander of MONUC's Ituri Brigade, Brigadier General Lok Babadur Thapa Magar.

"It is with immense satisfaction that I congratulate you for your important contribution to peace and stability of this country. This contingent has followed the path marked out by his predecessors. Its ongoing contact with the population as well as its various social activities has allowed the return of numerous persons displaced by the conflict to move back to the area of Lalo" said Brigadier General Thapa.

In their area of responsibility, the Nepali peacekeepers work in conjunction with the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) to provide security to the local population through regular patrols and the establishment of several checkpoints. The security operations carried out by the Nepali blue-helmets have also facilitated the return of many displaced persons to their homes. In addition to the regular security operations, the Nepali battalion has carried out vital humanitarian work including building a pharmacy in the Congolese village of Lovo.

The medal ceremony event was marked by the Nepali soldiers participating in a military parade, as well as demonstrating their skills in Tae-Kwan-Do and with their traditional "Khukuri" knives.

The Nepali battalion Taradal' reached Ituri on March 7 this year, with a strength of 850 men and are deployed in the towns of Mahagi, Aru, Fataki, Lalo, Kpandroma and Bunia.

According to Douglas T. Coffman, a UN official in Congo, there is 849 members of the Nepali contingent based in Mahagi, Aru, Fataki, Lalo, Kpandroma and Bunia areas. The 500 Nepali soldiers not based in Mahagi will receive their UN medals in the coming weeks. nepalnews.com ia Aug 13 08

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