Liberia / Acting SRSG commends Pakistani peacekeepers for their efforts to assist the Liberian people; contributing positively to the stability of the region

By Mission of UN in Liberia

MONROVIA, Liberia, February 23, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The Acting Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Coordinator of United Nations Operations in Liberia Mr. Moustapha Soumaré has commended Pakistani peacekeepers for their contribution to peace and stability in Liberia and the region. “By devoting yourselves to improving livelihood in the local communities, you have earned the respect and love of the Liberian people, young and old. The UN recognizes and appreciates your devotion. Your actions have fostered understanding and promoted peace and stability”, stated Mr. Soumaré during at a ceremony where he awarded UN Peacekeeping medals to members of the UNMIL Pakistani Contingent.

Mr. Soumaré said since deploying troops in 2003, Pakistan has established itself as a strong, reliable and dedicated partner in Liberia's search for peace, stability and development. “UNMIL has also benefitted from Pakistan's experience and generosity in the number and expertise of troops it has provided to the Mission, including highly qualified senior military officers, with two Force Commanders and one Deputy Force Commander”, noted Mr. Soumaré.

The Acting SRSG also commended the Pakistani Government for responding positively to the Security Council's request for UNMIL troops to reinforce the sister Mission in Côte d'Ivoire: describing it as another demonstration of Pakistan's long standing commitment to peace and security in the world.

At the ceremony, Mr. Soumaré also spoke of the UN Technical Assessment Mission (TAM) which recently arrived in Liberia, as directed by the Security Council, to assess the situation in Liberia and conduct a thorough review of the progress made towards UNMIL's strategic objective of a steady state of security in the country and Liberian security institutions that are operational independently of a peacekeeping mission. Based on this assessment, the TAM will develop recommendations for the future of the UN Mission in Liberia.

The Acting Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr. Moustapha Soumaré highlighted that this was not the first Technical Assessment Mission to come to Liberia. “The technical assessment is a customary event after a specific phase or benchmark is accomplished, in this case the completion of the elections” the Acting SRSG stressed, “I would like to underline that the United Nations is committed to Liberia, and UNMIL will continue to work on the transition while the entire UN family will remain to “Deliver as One” for the Liberian people”