Sierra Leone president joins KDF in soldiers’ remembrance

Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Wonie Bio on Sunday joined the Kenya Defence Forces, as the world marked the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, in paying tribute to four soldiers who paid the ultimate price in ending the civil war in the west African nation in the late 1990s.

Kenyan soldiers were part of the United Nations Observer Mission in Sierra Leone (Unomsil) that was established in 1998 by the UN Security Council to help end the conflict between the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels and government forces.

The four – Corporal Evanson Muthee, Corporal Jeremiah Obuya, Private Robert Wanyama and Private Khamis Yunis Shurie – died in the line of duty while fighting the rebels.

A candle to honour their memory was lit by Ms Zainab Hawa Bangura, the Director-General of the United Nations Office in Nairobi, in the presence of their families.

“I am here on a mission to express our sincere gratitude to the KDF. I say thank you to the commanders, officers, men and women of Kenyan contingent that were deployed to Sierra Leone,” President Bio, a retired Brigadier-General, said during the event held at the International Peace Support Training Centre.

“As the government of Sierra Leone, we eulogize the four with deep sorrow and great appreciation and thank their families and the nation of Kenya for offering the lives of the officers for the sake of peace in the country. Their sacrifices contributed immensely to efforts to restore peace in Sierra Leone,” he added.

Kenya’s contribution to international peace keeping missions’ dates back to 1979 when it sent troops to the Commonwealth Monitoring Force in Zimbabwe that also comprised troops from Australia, Britain, Fiji and New Zealand.

Peace keeping missions

Today, 43 years later, Kenya has contributed over 60,000 men and women to peace keeping missions across the world including Yemen, Iraq, Liberia, Mali, Sudan, Croatia, Syria, Char, Kuwait and Namibia amongst others nations.

These include 2,963 soldiers and military personnel who were deployed to Unomsil between 1998 and 2005, a mission that turned out successful as the troops managed to disarm and reintegrate the warring factions.

One of the commanders of the Kenyan contingent to Sierra Leone, Lieutenant-General (Rtd) Daniel Opande, got emotional when he recalled the day in which he asked rebel commanders to release the bodies of the four soldiers so they could be repatriated back home.

He also recollected the state of the country at the time and presented a memoir of his experience in the country to President Bio, who will also grace this year’s Madaraka Day Celebrations at Uhuru Gardens as the chief guest.

“I remember when I arrived in Sierra Leone it was in complete turmoil, there was lots of suffering but having been sent by President Moi and knowing I had the best soldiers, I knew the country would rise again,” Lt General (Rtd) Opande said.

Today, KDF soldiers are in active operation under the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Missions in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Monusco) and the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS).

Foreign Affairs CS Raychelle Omamo said the partnership forged between Kenya and Sierra Leone during its civil war has stood the test of time as seen with Nairobi’s deployment of nurses and doctors to the country to help fight the Ebola outbreak.

In search for peace

“In line with today’s theme ‘People. Peace. Progress. The power of partnerships’ I want to remind us that when people come together in search for peace, there can be success,” said Ms Omamo.

Chief of Defence Forces Robert Kibochi said the country has sent over 5,000 troops to Somalia since it launched its operations in the country about 12 years ago.

“Today is the day we renew our commitment towards assuring peace and security, pay homage to the courage, commitment and sacrifice of peace keepers all over the world and remember our great men and women who have paid the ultimate price for the sake of peace as we reflect on the current state of things in the theatre as we plan for future peace operations,” said the CDF.

The event was also attended by the Vice Chief of Defence Forces Lieutenant-General Francis Ogolla, Nairobi Metropolitan Boss Lieutenant-General Mohamed Badi, Inspector-General of Police Hilary Mutyambai and Kenya Wildlife Services Director-General Brigadier (Rtd) John Waweru. Others were Commissioner-General of Prisons Brigadier (Rtd) John Warioba, Deputy Inspector-General in charge of Administration Police Noor Gabow and members of the diplomatic community.

[email protected]