Nigerian defense minister concludes Darfur visit

September 20, 2010 (DARFUR) – The Nigerian minister of defense, Prince Adetokunbo Kayode, yesterday concluded a two-day visit to the Darfur region where he assessed the deployment of his country’s troops serving with the UN-AU Hybrid Peacekeeping Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), the mission said in an information note released yesterday.

Kayode arrived in Al-Fashir, the provincial capital of North Darfur State, in the company of an 11-member delegation including Nigeria’s ambassador to Khartoum Abdulkadir Sani.

He was welcomed by UNAMID’s Joint Special Representative (JSR) Ibrahim Gambari, who is a Nigerian himself. Gambari said that Nigerian troops “play a critical role in helping UNAMID accomplish its goal to realize peace.”

During his visit, the minister met with the governor of north Darfur and deputy governor of south Darfur states with whom he discussed “ways to helping improve security and assist UNAMID in carrying out its mandate.”

He finally addressed Nigerian peacekeeping troops in Nyala and praised them for making “the voice of Nigeria heard all over the world.”

Seven Nigerians were among ten AU peacekeepers killed in October 2007 when their base in Haskanita town was attacked by rebel groups.

Nigeria is UNAMID’s top contributor of military troops, with over 3,300 military peacekeepers. The country also provides about 450 police officers to the Mission.

(ST)