Photo MONUSCO/Biliaminou Alao

Bukavu, 16 November 2011 - The South Kivu Brigade of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) organized a handover ceremony on Wednesday, 16 November 2011, between the outgoing commander Brigadier General Muhammad Jamil and his successor Brigadier General Nadir Khan. Before leaving the country, Brigadier General Jamil spoke with Radio Okapi, the UN radio, and gave his views on what he considers to be some of his achievements in the year that he spent in the DRC.

Q: General, you are leaving South Kivu on Thursday, 17 November 2011, after serving in eastern DRC as the Commander of the South Kivu Brigade. Can you recall what the security situation was like when you freshly arrived here?

General Muhammad Jamil: Thank you very much for giving me this opportunity, especially at a time when I am leaving the DRC. When I arrived last year, the situation over here was quite unstable, especially in the Fizi territory, the Hauts Plateaux and the western part of the province. We started with Operation Shield, and tried to respond whenever a security situation came up.

Q: A lot has been achieved in South Kivu in terms of providing security for the local population. What in your opinion has been the role of the Brigade under your command?

General Muhammad Jamil: The Brigade has been at the forefront, and has worked closely with government's defense forces and law-enforcement institutions such as the FARDC [editor's note: DRC's National Defense Forces], PNC [editor's note: Congolese National Police]. I must also say that we have been through some very difficult times like the situation in Fizi at the beginning of the year. Then there was a general sense of satisfaction and relief when the perpetrators of the Fizi atrocities were tried and jailed. For the rest of the time, we tried to respond to any security threat wherever it came from. And I can say today that the security situation has been improving steadily with each passing day. And I am hopeful and I wish the best to all the security forces in the country. I am confident that the DRC will become a prosperous and peaceful country for its people to enjoy.

Q: What were the main challenges that you faced while trying to reach your goals in this part of the country?

General Muhammad Jamil: You know, when you want to conduct an operation in an area where roads are almost non-existent and the few that exist become impracticable with the heavy rainfalls, that becomes a challenge for you. For my troops, this problem was compounded by the lack of adequate air assets to support our ground operations... I think this was the biggest challenge. Otherwise, we tried to be everywhere people's security was threatened, and I told my men: "there should be no place where you should not be able to reach. We are here to deliver and we will reach wherever there is a problem."

Q: Do you already know your successor? And what challenges do you think are still ahead?

General Muhammad Jamil: I know my successor. His name is Brigadier General Nadir Khan. Like me, he already served in Somalia in 1993 and he is one of the most competent officers that Pakistan Army could offer to the United Nations for this difficult mission in Congo.

Q: Last question, as you leave on Thursday, 17 June 2011, do you know where you are going and the tasks awaiting you?

General Muhammad Jamil: Yes, I know I am going back to Pakistan, my beloved country. And again, I'm going there to serve Pakistan Army and my country.