India sends UN peacekeeping force to Liberia

New Delhi, Sep.9 (ANI): A 120-member-strong peacekeeping contingent from India was sent to West Africa's troubled Liberia from New Delhi on Friday.

K. Vijay Kumar, Director General of Police, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), addressed the contingent at the farewell ceremony and wished them luck for their posting.

Kumar told mediapersons that the contingents which were sent earlier to Liberia received a positive feedback for their professional conduct.

"These contingents have been considered one of the top-most among the UN peacekeeping forces. They are very happy with the CRPF's conduct, their professionalism, their behaviour, their civic action programmes and the way they go around applying absolute professionalism in the work. So they are highly regarded and highly priced. The UN team which came here, they mentioned this and MHA is also very keen, Ministry of Home Affairs that the contingent should continue to go," said Kumar.

Commandant D. P. Upadhyay said that their contingent would be working in conflict zones, according to the UN mandate.

"It has 120 persons, seven gazette officers, nine subordinate officers and others are commandants and constables. We are the third male-formed police unit to be deployed in Liberia. The deployment shall be at three places. Our tasks shall be to provide the safety and security to the civilian population and to work according to the UN mandate and within the brief of the United Nations," said Upadhyay.

The personnel were given optimal training in armed and unarmed combat, crowd and mob control, rescue and relief operations, disaster management and counter-insurgency operations among others.

This is the third all male formed contingent being sent to Liberia.

Liberia is one of the world's poorest countries and is still recovering from the 1989-2003 war.

The West African country is due to hold its second post-conflict election later this year. (ANI)