As the seventh largest contributor of troops to UN peacekeeping operations at present, the Arab Republic of Egypt certainly pulls its weight in working to contribute to global peace. In the Central African Republic (CAR), 990 blue helmets belonging to the MINUSCA Egyptian contingent were, on 10 August 2021, awarded UN service medals for their contribution to peace in the country.
A guard of honour kicked off the medal ceremony at the contingent’s base in Bangui, in the presence of the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General Lizbeth Cullity, the MINUSCA Force Commander Lieutenant General Daniel Sidiki Traore and the Deputy Force Commander Major General Paulo Maia Pereira.
Deployed to the CAR in July 2020, the medal recipients – comprising of officers from the infantry battalion and the contingent’s heavy transportation company – have contributed to the implementation of the Mission mandate: in protecting civilians; securing Mission bases; main trade routes as well as the recent presidential and legislative elections; escorting convoys for humanitarian assistance delivery and conducting logistics operations in support of Mission forces across the country.
Lizbeth Cullity, the deputy head of MINUSCA, hailed the Egyptian peacekeepers for having dedicated this past year “to protect civilians, help rebuild peace and promote UN principles of solidarity”, despite numerous threats and challenges. “On behalf of the Mission, I am proud of your accomplishments which were carried out with honor and courage,” she said.
The north African country first joined the ranks of UN peacekeeping back in 1960, as part of peace operations in the Republic of Congo. “Since then, Egypt has contributed to 37 peacekeeping missions, with the participation of over 30,000 officers, who have been deployed to 24 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America,” noted contingent commander Colonel Mazhar Abdel Fattah, capturing his country’s significant role in the pursuit of world peace, in places as diverse as Angola, Burundi, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Comoros, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Mozambique, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia and Sudan.
The honorees were reminded of the difference they, and their compatriots who previously served in the CAR, have made in reducing violence and sustaining peace for millions in a volatile environment. “I would like also to seize this opportunity to express my gratitude to the Government of the Arab Republic of Egypt for its unwavering support to peace and stability in the Central African Republic. As of May 2021, Egypt is the fourth largest troop-contributing country to MINUSCA, demonstrating its ongoing commitment to peacekeeping,” said Ms. Cullity.
Since 2016, a 1,130-strong Egyptian contingent has supported peacekeeping efforts in the CAR through its police and military units.