Bunia – 16 October 2015: More than 300 peacekeepers of the Bangladeshi air force in Ituri received the United Nations medals respectively from Lieutenant General Carlos Alberto Dos Santos Cruz, MONUSCO Force Commander and M’Hand Ladjouzi, Chief of MONUSCO office in Ituri.

Drums and bagpipes were played by the 12th Bangladeshi air contingent to enliven the ceremony attended by civilian and military representatives from MONUSCO and the Ituri province. After inspecting 12th air contingent troops, Lieutenant-General Carlos Alberto Dos Santos Cruz delivered a speech, praising the “dedication and professionalism shown by the Bangladeshi air force contingent when carrying out their missions in dangerous territories, to defend the United Nations’ values: civilians’ protection and the nation’s stabilization.”

M’hand Ladjouzi, for his part, recalled “Bangladesh is one of the first countries which responded positively to the United Nations’ appeal in 2003 by deploying its air force in Bunia.” He further highlighted that the quality of the interventions of the Bangladeshi air force was key to MONUSCO’s successful actions in Ituri. The 12th air contingent took the opportunity to perform some military air drills by conducting airborne operations under a heavy rain to secure a zone and evacuate the injured.

Anne HERRMANN