APA-Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire) Côte d’Ivoire contributes to peacekeeping efforts in response to the continent’s security challenges.
The Ivorian Minister of State, Minister of Defense, Tene Birahima, announced on December 26, 2023, that his country would be dispatching a military contingent to the Central African Republic for security and peacekeeping.
The announcement was made during a ceremony to decorate civilian and military officials.
During the ceremony, 274 civilian, military and gendarmerie personnel were decorated for their dedication and self-sacrifice to duty.
The event was presided over by Birahima, who congratulated the recipients on their “amply deserved” distinction, as proof of their dedication to the smooth running of the military establishment.
“I urge you to keep up this momentum and to be examples for all our compatriots,” said Tene Birahima, noting that the year 2023 was particularly marked by a “satisfactory security environment on national territory.”
He noted “the intensification of the terrorist challenge in neighbouring countries,” pointing out that the year also saw the disengagement of the Ivorian contingent from the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).
The minister took the opportunity to pay tribute to the soldiers who took part in the mission and to those who lost their lives, pointing out that “the contribution and behaviour of Ivorian soldiers in Mali were appreciated throughout their stay, by all the players and partners in this mission.”
He also praised the commitment of President Alassane Ouattara, the head of the Ivorian armed forces, to helping sister countries, with the setting up of a military hospital in Guinea-Bissau and the forthcoming dispatch of an Ivorian contingent to the Central African Republic.
For him, the security stakes in the sub-region have not changed, which means that the strategic and operational objectives of the Ministry of Defense remain unchanged.
“As a result, we need to pursue and accelerate the institutional and structural reforms underway” he added.
His department, he said, intends to strengthen the operational capabilities of its men, through training and the acquisition of appropriate equipment, in order to contribute to the economic development of Côte d’Ivoire, national cohesion and guaranteeing lasting stability.
Côte d’Ivoire will host the next Africa Cup of Nations (AfCON) from January 13 to February 11, 2024.
Mr. Tene Birahima instructed the armed forces to do their utmost to ensure that Africa’s biggest football showpiece was successfully hosted by Cote d’Ivoire.
The awards include medals for officer, knight of the national order; officer and knight of the Ivorian order of merit, as well as defense medals in gold, silver, silver and bronze echelons.
There were also medals for the armed forces and the national gendarmerie.
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