The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Côte d'Ivoire, Mrs Aïchatou Mindaoudou, accompanied by the Ambassador of the Republic of Niger to Côte d'Ivoire, Mr. Moussa Aloua, on Tursday, 19 December 2013, decorated some 150 peacekeepers of the 20th Nigerien Contingent of the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI) with the United Nations Medal in Gagnoa, situated 288 kilometres from Abidjan, in recognition for their contribution to re-establishing stability and peace in the country.



The Battalion Commander, Colonel Abdoulaye Mounkaïla presented his contingent to the invited guest during the ceremony. The Nigerien peacekeepers arrived in Côte d'Ivoire on 20 May 2013 and are deployed in Abidjan, Bouaké, Gagnoa, Divo and Para. According to Colonel Mounkaïla, his contingent is composed of one battalion, two platoons in charge of protecting VIPs, officer cells who carry out their duties strictly in accordance with UNOCI's mandate. He announced that the duration of the battalion's mission will from now on be for one year instead of six months, following a decision taken by the Nigerien authorities in collaboration with the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations. The battalion commander urged his peacekeepers to double their efforts in order to accomplish their mission which ends on 30 June 2014, with honour. He concluded by reiterating the contingent's willingness to work tirelessly to contribute to the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2112.



The Special Representative explained the reason for organising the ceremony before paying tribute to the peacekeepers for their professionalism and humanitarian action to benefit Ivorians. "{The Medal parade ceremony is a United Nations tradition. It is the most prestigious event for military personnel serving with UN Mission. It is in recognition of the devotion shown by a soldier to his duty. It is in recognition of his professionalism, it is in recognition of the hard work he does and also in recognition of his contribution to the

restoration of peace}," Mrs Mindaoudou explained to the medal recipients and the numerous invited guests who attended the ceremony in UNOCI's camp.



On behalf od the UN Secretary-General, the Special Representative congratulated the medal recipients for the precious contribution to the history of Côte d'Ivoire. "{Today's medal parade ceremony is an occasion that should inspire and motivate you to continue to work even harder to re-establish and consolidate peace in Côte d'Ivoire and the world}," she added.



The Head of UNOCI also recalled Niger's history in peacekeeping through its participation in several missions such as in Kuwait, Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea Bissau, Comoros, Liberia, Côte d'Ivoire and more recently Mali. "{UNOCI has certainly profited from Niger's experience and the generosity of its troops}," said the Special Representative, adding that Nigerien peacekeepers have always shown a high degree of professionalism and and diligence in the execution of their duties in their areas of responsibility and a sense of sacrifice. The Special Representative then asked for the observation of a minute's silence in memory of the seven Nigerien peacekeepers who were assassinated on 8 June 2012 near the village of Para in the west of Côte d'Ivoire while carrying out their peacekeeping mission.



Mrs Mindaoudou then thanked the peacekeepers for the professionalism they have always shown in difficult situations during their mission. She highlighted their involvement in humanitarian activities to help the local communities. "{When you treat the injured, when you treat the sick, you have served humanity and I am certain that your contribution here will remain engraved in the memory of the new Côte d'Ivoire which evolving towards the consolidation of peace}," she added. UNOCI's head urged the Nigerian peacekeepers to guard the spirit of their mandate by translating it into their daily actions, the code of conduct of peacekeepers, the culture, the observation of the spirit and the letter of the regulations and laws of Côte d'Ivoire. "{We have confidence in you that you will serve the people and the communities of Côte d'Ivoire. Any action that calls this confidence into question is serious because it could cause severe damage to the people who we are here to protect}," she stressed. She then thanked the administrative, traditional and local authorities and the people of Gagnoa for their presence. She also expressed her gratitude to Ivorians for their unflinching support to the United Nations and UNOCI.



The prefect of the department, N'Zi Kanga Remi, praised the action of peacekeepers whom he said not only contribute to maintaining peace but also to the daily lives of people in the region. "{When it comes to putting out a fire, helping accident victims, treating the injured and sick, they are always with us,}" said the Prefect. He also said that the Nigerien peacekeepers are part of the departmental security committee and in this regard they take part in meetings every Tuesday to assess the security situation in the area. "{We

discuss together what sort of action we should take in order to reduce insecurity in the area. So I can tell you that the security situation in the region is improving}," said Mr. N'Zi Kanga. On behalf of the State, he then thanked the Special Representative for UNOCI's support to the reconstruction of Côte d'Ivoire.



"{No thanks are needed between Niger and Côte d'Ivoire, we help each and together we are working to ensure that national reconciliation becomes a reality so that Côte d'Ivoire can once again become the country that we knew in the very near future. I am convinced that this well happen because the process has already started}," said the Nigerian Ambassador to Côte d'Ivoire, Mr. Moussa Aloua. The ceremony ended with a military parade to the fanfare of the Nigerian Army.