Indian peacekeepers replace initial battalions

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE), Legwaila Joseph Legwaila, on Monday attended the official handing-over ceremony of UNMEE’s Netherlands and Canadian battalion (NECBAT) of their peacekeeping duties to the incoming Indian battalion (INDBAT), a UNMEE statement said on Monday. The 1,500-strong NECBAT was drawn from the UN’s Standing High-Readiness Brigade (SHIRBRIG), a multinational brigade mandated to serve in UN peacekeeping missions during their critical start-up phase, and committed to serve for the first six months. Legwaila thanked the departing troops for creating “confidence on the ground”, which allowed Ethiopia and Eritrea to redeploy their forces after a peace agreement ended the two year border conflict last year. Legwaila also praised NECBAT for its contribution to the communities among which it was stationed.