Zambia Army Commander Lieutenant General Paul Mihova has assured the United Nations of Zambia’s continued contribution to the maintenance of international peace and security, and deployment of personnel to UN Peace keeping missions.
United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Mr. Hervé Ladsous and United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Field Support Mr. Atul Khare commended Zambia for its peacekeeping operations in Central Africa Republic and other countries under the UN mandate.
Lt. Gen. Mihova, who is leading a delegation from Zambia Army and Zambia Air Force (ZAF), is in New York where he is holding meeting with senior United Nations officials about peacekeeping and other security matters in the world.
In a statement released to the media by First Secretary for Press and Public Relations Permanent Mission of the Republic of Zambia to the United Nations, Mr Chibaula Silwamba, Lt. Gen. Mihova said Zambia attaches great importance to the maintenance of international peace and security.
At the meeting with the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Lt. Gen. Mihova conveyed Zambia’s appreciation to the United Nations for authorizing Zambia to participate in UN peacekeeping missions.
He noted that modern peacekeeping operations had an added challenge of terrorism.
“My delegation takes great cognizance of the stronger and more strategic relationship with regional actors such as the African Union which are building stones to greater and wider peace in the world,” Lt. Gen. Mihova told Mr. Ladsous. “We take note that United Nations peace support operations are not meant to combat terrorism. However, the positive efforts of United Nations denies the terrorists negative forces safe havens. This on its own exposes UN personnel to security threats such as the Lord Resistance Army that poses serious security threat on Zambian battalion deployed in sector east of the Central African Republic.”
The Army Commander said the impact that the United Nations mandated actions may have in environments where terrorist groups operate, creates collective pressure to bear by parties to the conflict and UN personnel.
“It is for this reason that my delegation is of the view of requesting for renegotiation for the upwards adjustment and contingent owned equipment claims (reimbursement),” Lt. Gen. Mihova said.
The Army Commander commended the UN’s zero tolerance to disciplinary misconduct especially sexual exploitation and abuse.
“Equally, Zambia has adopted the same policy of zero tolerance to misconduct wherever the troops are deployed,” said Lt. Gen. Mihova.
Mr. Ladsous commended Lt. Gen. Mihova for reassuring him of Zambia’s its continued contribution to peacekeeping operations.
Mr. Ladsous expressed gratitude to Zambia for its availability to help maintain international peace and security, especially in Africa.
In a separate meeting with United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Field Support His Excellency Mr. Atul Khare, the Zambia Army chief commended the Un Department of Field Support for the great partnership it was building with all stakeholders, particularly with troop and police contributing countries as well as regional intergovernmental organizations.
“We also take note of the efforts you are making in mission support leadership and technical skills as evidenced in the tri-angular partnership,” Lt. Gen. Mihova told Mr. Khare.
Lt. Gen. Mihova praised Zambian troops in peacekeeping mission for their outstanding and exemplary behavior in line with their mandate.
Mr. Khare commended Zambia’s commitment to support UN efforts to maintain peace in African countries that were currently experiencing conflict.
The Trump card is on~ President Trump is withdrawing the U.S. from funding to~ ntemba chats.
The NGOs will soon start feeling the Trump card. From the looks of Trump card~the world’s biggest economy ~U.S.A is withdrawing from these tuntemba parties. The Mexican Trump wall has started, 20% tax duty on Mexico goods. Changamuka!~no more chibuku for the army.
The Skeleton Key
~206~
Very few Zambians are aware of the fact that the Zambian Army served with honour and diligence and the entire contingent were awarded medals by the peacekeeping mission UNAMIR (United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda) that was in place during and after the 1994 terrible genocide. Zambian soldiers made their mark in UN peacekeeping missions from that time on. What happened in Sierra Leone afterward was sadly as a result of poor leadership by UN commanding officers. We must learn from past mistakes.
I hope the Zambia Army has improved after that embarrassing encounter some years ago when the whole contingent of the Zambian soldiers on peace keeping mission in some west African country were captured by rebels
Because of a useless Bangladeshi Commander.
What is the bag? A 1939 Luga?
Luger
The man is too small in stature to be a General. He just doesn’t look the part. Sorry.
@Vision
Dynamite comes in small packages. You don’t want fat generals with over-extended potbellies, now do you? In Genral Mihova’s position a strategic brain is all he needs, not a vast body.
He is being given vodka or whisky or is it Viagra punch kkkk?
Zambia Army must focus on training and adopting new technologies instead of wasting time by becoming the keeper of the peace originally broken by imperialist forces and agenda. We must not allow ZP become the national army by its adoption of militaristic policies and practices.
Ba Ambassador Iyee sure
Why can’t our govt size up the opportunity of making a big contribution to UN Peace keeping missions by increasing the number of troops by another bridged. What is happening at the moment is the same guys going over and over after a few years. Participating in such ops though high risk will expose our men and women in uniform to different conflict causes and how they can be prevented. Its also good for troops to earn some extra cash as can be seen others who are wise have built houses, farms, dot com cars and general improvement of their personal lot. This will also be a high level live exercise for our troops when there is peace at home.
These peace-keeping missions by Zambia Army are not truly managed by our men and women. The reason is that we do not have adequate strategic heavy lifter airplanes that we can use in ZAF. ZAF are still flying around like a flying school or a flight school. Botswana, South Africa have planes, Hercules C-130 which are what ZAF needs to have in order to deliver our men to locations of their missions. For Zambia to depend upon other foreign countries to transport our people on their missions is crazy as it means that we are at their mercy and pleasure! We must grow up, a tough thing to do when we have a visionless leadership, with a dodgy accountant as a finance minister.