Guiglo, 24 September 2009... The Principal Deputy Special Representative of the United nations Secretary-General for Côte d'Ivoire, Abou Moussa, on Thursday, in Guiglo, took part in a medal parade ceremony for 427 soldiers from the 11th Beninois contingent of the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI).

Mr. Moussa recalled that the ceremony was a way of acknowledging Benin's contribution to peace, beside its brothers in Côte d'Ivoire. "It is also a tribute paid by the United Nations to your expertise as soldiers, to your keen sense of duty and self-sacrifice, to your professionalism, to your capacity to adapt to the conditions," he told the recipients.

The Principal Deputy Special Representative welcomed the sense of duty of the peacekeepers and their generosity of spirit towards the population. "At the civil-military level, your cultural assimilation in the environment can be easily appreciated with regard to the atmosphere of solidarity which is obvious on the faces of the people of Guiglo," he added.

The contingent commander, Colonel Seïbou Karim, outlined his troops' activities since their deployment in Moyen Cavally, on 20 may 2009. "We carry out day and night patrols; we provide escorts to people and UN equipment as well as security to UN buildings and equipment," he said.

Colonel Seibou added that the battalion had provided support to the electoral process by transporting personnel and the equipment from the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC). He also cited the humanitarian actions carried out by his contingent to benefit the population. He reiterated the contingent's determination to carry out its mission by strictly respecting UNOCI's mandate before repeating his commitment and his availability to accomplish his mission while respecting the laws of the country.

The ceremony, which was attended by UNOCI's Deputy Force Commander, local authorities and representatives of the Beninois embassy and community, ended with a parade by peacekeepers followed by a cultural exhibition of Benin.