CAR: Over 750 Congolese soldiers ready for service

They arrived in the country on July 7, 2015 to replace others who had served for more than a year.

The Republic of Congo has injected fresh impetus in the peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic as a new contingent of over 750 Congolese soldiers arrived in the country on Tuesday, July 7, 2015 to replace the old contingent that had served in the UN Multinational Integrated Stabilisation Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) for more than a year, news agency reports say.

The mission of the new contingent of Congolese soldiers to the Central African Republic reportedly started on Monday, July 6, 2015 when Army Chief of Staff, Major General Guy Blanchard Okoï, presented the Commander of the troops, Colonel Jean Pierre Bouka. The Congolese National Defence Minister then gave the specific missions to the troops before they left the following day to the Central African Republic on board Russian airbus IL-76TD.

Colonel Jean Pierre Bouka and his men are working for some days nows bearing in mind the special instructions of the Defence Minister in relation to their mission. The soldiers were told that they are soldiers of peace, the keen attention authorities accord to their mission with regard to the respect of human rights while executing the duties.

They were also reminded of the principle of zero tolerance. The soldiers were equally informed of crimes and misconducts they must not indulge in such as rape, theft, killing voluntarily, trade and abuses on the population. Any of them who would indulge in the misconducts would face sanctions based on military regulations such as repatriation to his country of origin, dismissal from the military if need be and even taken to competent courts.

Just as is the case with troops from other countries serving in the Central African Republic, the Congolese contingent left with the full knowledge that their mission is to bring back peace and security, as well as rescue the distressed population.

The Congolese troops are expected to be more efficient considering the ACOTA training they received as a fruit of the partnership with the American government, as well as another training called SOVEREIGN received within the framework of partnership with a French enterprises, news agency reports say.