UNAMID pays condolence visit on Ambassador Bangali
A team of United Nations African Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) from the Joint Support and Coordination Mechanism based in Addis Ababa on Friday 19th August paid a condolence visit on Sierra Leone’s Ambassador to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the African Union Commission (AUC), His Excellency Mr. Andrew Gbebay Bangali. (Photo: (L-r) Ambassador Bangali and Lt. Colonel Mohd Malintang Abdullah UNAMID Military Liaison Officer)
The visit came after the death of Sergeant Sheku Mansaray of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces who was ambushed in Sector South in Darfur on 5th August 2011 by an unknown group.
The UNAMID team was comprised of Mr. Mohamed Braima-Jah, Police Liaison Officer; Lieutenant Colonel Mohd Malintang Abdullah, Military Liaison Officer and Mr. Hossamedin Soliman, Police Liaison Officer.
Mr. Mohamed Braima-Jah, a Sierra Leoenan Police Liaison Officer said the visit was a routine one to update the Troop Contributing Countries (TCC)/Police Contribution Countries (PCC) on their activities and to also use the opportunity to register UNAMID’s profound condolence to the Government of the Republic of Sierra Leone through the country’s Mission in Addis Ababa.
Lieutenant Colonel, Mohd Malintang Abdullah, the Military Liaison gave a detailed report of the security situation in Darfur. He said the Mission has now deployed a total number of 18, 102 troops.
He added that the United Nations Security Council has extended the mandate of UNAMID, stressing that the security situation in Darfur still remains unstable.
Ambassador Bangali (l) in a handshake with Mr Hossamedin Soliman UNAMID Police Liaison officer
Mr. Hossamedin Soliman, a Police Liaison Officer pointed out that Sierra Leone, which is both a TCC/PCC country, is the second highest police contributing country and also the second country with the highest female police officers in the Mission, which has greatly made UNAMID’s work easier.
He said: “The strength of the police deployment in Darfur is now 2,741.”
Responding, Ambassador Bangali who is also accredited as the country’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa said he appreciated the visit and the expression of condolences for the bereaved Army Officer.
He also said that their visit was timely as a lot of questions have been asked on the death of Sierra Leonean peacekeepers while investigations into the cause of their deaths have been delayed by UNAMID. He requested for a speedy investigation and appealed for mechanisms to be put in place to avoid a repetition/reoccurrence of such unfortunate situations.
Other issues discussed during the meeting included; the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005 which left out significant key players in the Sudan conflict and the referendum held in January 2011 that paved the way for South Sudan to become an Independent State on 9th July 2011, among others.
The meeting was also attended by Mrs. Juliana Sia Hawa Fallah, Acting Head of Chancery of the Sierra Leone Embassy in Addis Ababa.
Abdul Karim Koroma, Information Attaché, Embassy of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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