Peacekeeping: Nigeria to Provide UN-standard APCs

A solider for few seconds at Nyala, Darfur Sudan

http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=133096

Peacekeeping: Nigeria to Provide UN-standard APCs
01.15.2009
Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Paul Dike was in Sudan recently for a two-day visit to the Nigerian Contingent (NIGCOM) serving in the United Nations African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID). It was frank talk between the CDS and the troops. It was also an opportunity for him to see first hand, the troops on line of duty, writes Juliana Taiwo
Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Paul Dike’s two-day visit to Al Fasher, Nyala and Khartoum was for the purpose of a familiarisation tour to Nigerian troops serving there. He also used the opportunity to address the troops about their duties to the fatherland, in or outside Nigeria. The Defence Chief had reasons to be happy. First, the UNAMID operation is led by his predecessor in office-former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Martins Luther Agwai.
Secondly, Nigeria is one of the highest Troop Contributing Countries (TCC) in UNAMID. By December last year, her troops contribution to the UN and African Union efforts would come to a toal of 3,200 peacekeeping elements. This consists of four battalions. In South Darfur sector alone, Nigerian has three battalions.
A battalion consists of 800 composite soldiers. Other elements of the Nigerian Army include a 23×43 Medical Level Two hospital with 1×29 Protection Platoon and about 58 Staff Officers/Military Observers (MILOBs) serving at various headquarters and locations in the mission. Nigeria also has about 180 UN Police (UNPOL) advisors. The strength of NIGCON is expected to increase when the Recce and Quick Re-enforcement company (coy) arrives in the mission area.
At the South Sector with headquarters in Nyala, Nigeria plays a dominant role. But it is co-hosted with other supporting elements – UNPOL, Chinese Engineering Company, Pakistani Level II hospital, Egyptian Troop Company, Bangladesh multi-role logistics unit, Bangladesh and Nepal Formed Police units.
Dike visited the UNAMID headquarters in Al Fasher where he inspected a guard of honour mounted by troops of the Gambian Army. Later, he was briefed by both Gen. Agwai and Hocine Medili, the Joint Special Representative Operations and Management. In Nyala, he was briefed on the state of the NIGCON by its Commander, Brig Gen. Fredrick Eze.
On kitting, the NIGCON Commander said that “troops in UNAMID have been issued with three variants of desert camouflage. While the use of the camouflage which reflects the operational environment is good, these camouflage are not suitable for use at home or even other operational environments.
This situation, he said is a drain on the lean resources in the Nigerian Armed Forces. Consequently, it is suggested that the traditional green/black/brown patternred camouflage be procured and used uniformly to all troops irrespective of their areas of operation. This camouflage can continue to be used anywhere and would be uniquely identified as Nigerian as it is the case with other national’s armed forces.
“The weather in Darfur was cold, heavy rain and sandstorm. Unfortunately, these battalions are not well kitted to meet varying weather conditions. As a consequence, there are increasing cases of sick reports amongst NIGCON troops. I request for the troops to be fully issued with jersey pullover, mosquito nets, hand gloves and blankets,” he said.
Dike was also told that NIGCON operates with limited Contingent Owned Equipment (COE), many of which are not in good shape. The contingent has in its holding in Darfur about 30 COE APCs, four Kamaz trucks and about 20 Hilux patrol vehicles. The equipment are meant to cover a rugged and vast area of responsibility (AOR).
Eze noted that “Nigerian battalions are limited in their operational capabilities. The battalions are also limited by their self-sustainment abilities. Presently, the units occupy ex-AMIS prepared accommodation and kitchen facilities. The provision of major equipment and self-sustainment in keeping with the Memorandum of Understanding with the UN will enable NIGCON to be self-sustained in categories such as generators above 20KVA, vehicles and communication equipment.” In addition, he said, NIGCON, with about four battalions and equipment holding, has no maintenance facilities for them.
Agwai and Medili had emphasised the importance of fully equipping the troops. The Force Commander lamented that Africans have not yet learnt the importance and use of UN peacekeeping to train and equip their own military. Said Agwai; “most of us in the developing world, especially Africans, have not really understood what peacekeeping is all about. A lot of us think that it is a charity organisation we are running. Some countries have this notion that their country is investing in the UN free of charge. I want to say that the Asians understand it better than us and are investing very highly in it.
“My suggestion to Nigeria and all Africans involved in peacekeeping is that we can kill three birds by taking part in peacekeeping. One, we can show the flag that when the role was call for Africans brothers in problem, we were there to support them and as brother keepers, that is international relations. Two, we can through peacekeeping get our troops properly trained and equipped in a real life situation which we can never have at home because all that you do at home is stimulation. So, every soldier deployed here knows that he could be the next casualty. And because of that, the real tactics of teaching and talking at home will be able to put in practice in the field here. So, it is a plus for any army to have what you can never have in your own country, the true practical applications of it.
“Most importantly, participation in UN peacekeeping is a money making venture. That is the part most of us in Africa do not realise. An APC used in the theatre fetches a country minimum of $6,000 a month if that APC is fully equipped to the UN standard. Let us do simple mathematics. If Nigeria has 10 APCs, and they stay here for one month, that is $60,000. Multiply by one year, you get a total of $720,000 on the 10 APCs alone. It is because we do not understand we think we are helping UN.
“All you need to do is invest. You have heard about the Canadian APCs. They are 30 years old. So, if you maintain APC, the average life span of any APC in this world is 25 years. If you push that APC into this theatre and you can maintain it, you get $6,00 every month. If a battalion is equipped to meet UN standard, each battalion will fetch you minimum of $1.2 million a month. But if you don’t invest, you cannot get anything. And that is the problem we are having in the third world, particularly in Nigeria . South Africans don’t have that problem. In some areas, South Africans have surplus of what it is supposed to be but we don’t want to invest and yet we want returns it is impossible.
“For example, by UN standard, if your vehicle has no trafficking light, that vehicle is off the road. How much does it cost to buy a trafficking bulb? If you don’t buy and the inspectors come and inspect the APC, what you get is zero. There is nothing like this vehicle has no trafficking light, let’s minus that from $6,000.
“The vehicle is either on or off road. I make bold to say that there are countries including yours ( Nigeria ) that have brought APCs into this mission without one spare tyre. Even your personal car, does it not have spare tyre, including the tools to change it with? But when we send in APCs and it goes on patrol, and the tyre gets punctured, it is off the road for that month and your $6,000 monthly allowance would be gone because of a tyre which might not cost up to $1,000. So, you invest to gain. There are countries that have brought in APCs and in five or 10 years, from the monthly allowances it pays off the initial capital used to buy those APCs. And they thus become money making venture thereafter, because it is now yours for ever. We have to invest.” Agwai asked Nigeria to put more of its troops into peacekeeping as the troops have practical experiences and not stimulated ones. He added, “for training, I’ll suggest if you can increase your troops, it is good because this is where they will get training. The nurses, doctors, because of injuries we have here, will train.
Infantry soldiers, the ratings every one will train. For the APCs, in its maintenance because the tactics where you really employ this equipment are on the ground. Asked by Air Chief Marshal Dike to predict how long Nigerian troops could still be in Darfur , Agwai replied, “When you see the thick cloud of rain, you know rain is going to fall, you don’t know for how long and how many inches it is going to fall. So, we are here as peacekeepers and we hope there will be peace to
keep. But honestly, we don’t know how long it will last. Let hazard a guess and say everything being equal it will take another five years.” Agwai lamented that “this is a peacekeeping mission without peace to keep. When UN sends troops on peacekeeping mission, there is already an agreement on ground between the stakeholders and the UN coming to keep the peace. But in the case of UNAMID and Darfur, there is no peace to keep because as you are aware, the peace process that took place in Abuja in 2006, four groups came to Abuja – the government, Minimanawi SLA (Sudanese Liberation Army).
SLA-Waheed and JEM (Justice for Equality Movement) did not sign that agreement. So, there is no way you can implement that agreement on ground. “The sad aspect is that from three groups we now have 30 groups on the ground. There are breakages groups, of structures on ground to deal with. It is so because there are efforts to get the peace group which we do not have. I foresee if the peace process starts next year, it will take minimum of six months to come to agreement, then it will take the peacekeepers time now to start the peacekeeping and agreeing that all crisis is going to be resolved, disbarment, demobilisation, integration amongst others. That is why I say four, five years”.
Addressing the troops, Dike promised that Nigeria was going to ensure that the APCs used in mission areas henceforth meet UN standards. Nigeria, he said, will rather send UN standard APCs or send nothing at all. On the issue of indiscipline, the Defence Chief said while Nigeria appreciates the contributions of the peacekeepers in the Darfur region, it will come to nothing if they lack discipline. He stated that “I have received so many complaints. I want to believe they are not true.
“So, while we are prepared to make life easier for you here, you equally have a role to play, by ensuring that you project yourself as a disciplined force. No matter how committed you are, no matter how intelligent we think we are, if the aspect of discipline is not properly tackled, then the overall objective as to why you are here will not be achieved.
“That is why I am putting it bluntly to you that you must change your attitude, right from the top to the lowest person here. No amount of sacrifice can be appreciated if discipline is low. In fact, if you are not disciplined, all your sacrifice comes to nothing. If any of you is found wanting and is brought back home, you know what it means.

United Nations African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) & Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Paul Dike