North Kivu Brigade Bleu Helmets Honour Martyred Peacekeeper

13 Aug 2010

North Kivu Brigade Bleu Helmets Honour Martyred Peacekeeper

Goma, 11 August 2010 - The Blue Helmets of MONUSCO's North Kivu Brigade successfully accomplished yet another Quick Impact Project (QIP), that is, the construction of a basket court at Kanyabayonga in Lubero territory, at the cost of 12500 US dollars, as part of the UN Mission's Civil-Military Cooperation operations (CIMIC) and Winning Hearts and Minds (WHAM) project. The QIP is dedicated to honour Corporal Husan Lal of the Indian contingent, who was killed in the line of duty on 23 May 2010.

On 9 August 2010, the project was officially inaugurated and handed over to the local population of Kanyabayonga by Brigadier General Ajae Kumar Sharma, the Commander of the North Kivu Brigade, in the presence of Senior FARDC officers, local authorities, prominent civil chiefs, government representatives and the local population.

The population of Kanyabayonga and the local administration voiced their deep gratitude to MONUSCO for this meaningful gesture of solidarity. Brigadier General Ajae Kumar Sharma in his speech urged the local population "to make the best use of the facility for the overall development of their children and youths". He assured that "MONUSCO is here to bring about peace, tranquility and prosperity in the area and will continue to work in tandem with local population". The occasion was marked by an inaugural friendly match played between two local youth teams, and this was followed by a cultural show presented by local youth group of Kanyabayonga.

Similarly, on 9 Aug 2010, in a small military ceremony, a memorial to pay tribute to the supreme sacrifice made by Corporal Husan Lal of the Indian battalion-4 was inaugurated by General Kumar Sharma at Mabenga near Kiwanja.