Goma, 19 September 2012 – The first inaugural flight to the Rwandan capital, Kigali, with a Boeing 767 of Ethiopian Airlines registered 300 ER, took place on Tuesday, 18 September 2012, as part of the Global Field Support Strategy; several officials of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) witnessed the arrival of troops on this flight.

It was 9:36 local time, when the aircraft, which departed New-Delhi on the eve with eight crew members and 200 peacekeepers on board, landed at the Kanombe International Airport. The peacekeepers were on a routine rotation.

The new Global Field Support Strategy, under which the flight took place is the first major political proposal ever made by the UN Secretary-General aimed at stepping up the effectiveness and management of peacekeeping operations. The mission was designed to make an in-depth reorganization of the way support services are provided to missions deployed on the ground.

The provisions of the agreement signed between Ethiopian Airlines and the United Nations on 13 August clearly set out that as from now on, troops including UN police would be transported by Ethiopian Airlines. The long-term agreement will equally help the UN review similar contracts previously signed with other smaller airlines across the world. It is worth recalling that since its launch in 1946, Ethiopian Airlines is the very first African airline to reach 80 destinations across the globe, including 36 in Africa. Ethiopian Airlines also employs more than 5000 people.

Gabriel Wamenya/ Radio Okapi/ MONUSCO