« On behalf of the Secretary-General, it is my pleasure to award you this United Nations Peacekeeping Medal in recognition of your remarkable contribution to the peace process in Côte d'Ivoire », declared the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Côte d'Ivoire, Mrs Aïchatou Mindaoudou, during a medal parade ceremony for 850 peacekeepers of the 22nd Niger contingent in Tabou, situated at 480 kilometres from Abidjan, on 4 February 2016,.

The ceremony was attended by a representative of the Ambassador of the Republic of Niger to Côte d'Ivoire, Colonel Madougou Mahamadou, a delegation of the Defence and Security Forces of Niger led by General Iro Oumarou and the Force Commander of the UN Force, General Didier Lhote. The Prefect of Tabou Department, Mr. Yacouba Doumbia, a representative of the Forces Républicaines de Côte d'Ivoire, Lieutenant Ouattara, the president of the Regional Council, Mr. Beugré Donatien as well as the Mayor of Tabou, Mr. Julien Klebié also attended the medal parade ceremony.



Explaining the reason why peacekeepers are awarded the UN Medal, the Special Representative said that the medal symbolise « an appreciation of the devotion to duty, professionalism and contribution of a soldier to peace ».



The head of the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI), Mrs Mindaoudou expressed her gratitude to all the medal recipients for their efforts and encouraged them to continue along the same path.

« The 22nd Niger Contingent that we are celebrating today plays an essential role within the UNOCI Force in protecting people in this region. These peacekeepers have always carried out their mission with efficiency and professionalism," she added.



The Special Representative also thanked local military and civilian authorities for their presence at the ceremony and for their perfect collaboration with UNOCI peacekeepers. Mrs Mindaoudou also took the opportunity to express her gratitude to Ivorians for their daily support to the United Nations and UNOCI.



For his part, the head of the delegation of the Defence and Security Forces of Niger, Brigadier-General Iro Oumarou said: « I would like to reiterate the United Nations' willingness to work wherever it is needed".



The Commander of the 22nd Niger Contingent, Colonel Bachir Moussa Seydou, urged his soldiers « to redouble their efforts while carrying out their mission by showing always an exemplary behavior in respecting the United Nations code of conduct on discipline ».



He recalled his Contingent's mission which entails helping to improve the security situation along the Ivorian-Liberian border by carrying out ground patrols and air reconnaissance flights and maintaining close relations with Forces Républicaines de Côte d'Ivoire (FRCI). He also outlined the Contingent's civil-military activities to benefit local people, including free medical treatment, distributing potable water, as well as helping to extinguish fire, providing emergency roadside help, building dispensaries and classrooms.



The 22nd Niger Contingent was deployed in Côte d'Ivoire on 15 April 2015 with 850 peacekeepers based in Tabou, Gagnoa, Divo, San Pedro, Grabo and Para. Niger peacekeepers were first deployed in Côte d'Ivoire in 2003.



In addition to the Nigerien peacekeepers, two customs officers from Rwanda and Ghana were also decorated with the UN Medal during the ceremony.