Kinshasa, 19 December 2010 - MONUSCO Western Brigade Commander, Brig Gl Martin Owusu-Ababio, distributed 70 soccer balls to team site leaders who gathered in a symbolic ceremony in Kinshasa on 19 December to promote peace and unity among Congolese through sportsmanship.

"Experience in conflict torn areas shows that a sport like football has the potential to bring people together and often serves as a source of unity, " said the Military Observers Commander, Lt Col Sanjay Ahuja, one of the organizers.

The team site leaders present at the ceremony came from Gbadolite, Gemena, Mbandaka, Bandundu, Mbuji-Mayi and Kinshasa. Encouraged by the success of this initiative, they agreed to take it further to the rest of the country under the slogan "Give a ball, Give Happiness."

Mohammad Abdul Wahab/MONUSCO