As part of the ECOWAS Stabilization Support Mission, the Nigerian Army has sent troops to Guinea-Bissau on a peace mission.
Nigeria’s commitment to regional peace, security, and stability is reaffirmed by the deployment, the army said in a statement on Saturday.
In order to start their operation under the ECOWAS mandate, the troops—86 members of Nigerian Company 5 (NIGCOY 5 ESSMGB)—arrived in Guinea-Bissau on a Nigerian Air Force C-130 Hercules after leaving the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
“Prior to the deployment from the Nigerian Army Peacekeeping Forward Operating Base, Abuja, the Chief of Operations (Army), Major General MLD Saraso, represented by the Director Peace Support Operations, Brigadier General MM Idris, charged the troops to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, discipline and operational excellence throughout the mission,” the statement reads.
“He urged them to conduct themselves as exemplary ambassadors of the Nigerian Army, the Armed Forces of Nigeria and the Federal Republic of Nigeria by faithfully executing the mission mandate, respecting the laws, customs and traditions of the host nation, and maintaining zero tolerance for Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA), substance abuse, indiscipline and the irresponsible use of social media.
“The deployment further underscores the Nigerian Army’s enduring reputation as one of Africa’s foremost contributors to regional and international peace support operations.”
The army stated that it continues to assist Nigeria’s leadership in conflict prevention, peacebuilding, and post-war rehabilitation, drawing on decades of peacekeeping operations under ECOWAS, the African Union, and the United Nations.
It further stated that the Nigerian Army has become a reliable force for regional security and peace throughout Africa due to the professionalism and commitment of its members.
