By BSS
Daloa, Ivory Coast : Bangladeshi peacekeepers have been performing excellently here under United Nations Mission as they are cordially accepted by conflicting parties as well as the UN officials.
" Our responsibility is to monitor the compliance by conflicting parties with the comprehensive ceasefire agreement, building confidence between the parties and providing support to the government of the national reconciliation in the implementation of the disarmament, demobilization and rehabilitation (DDR) programme and election process in Ivory Coast," Brigadier General Mainul Islam, commander, sector west, told BSS Tuesday.
"We are contributing to ensure inviolability of the Zone of Confidence, a buffer area, which divide the country into two parts as north and south," he said and added the north is mainly dominated by the rebels.
Brig. Gen. Mainul Islam said the peacekeepers are also tasked to protect UN personnel, installations, equipments, as they were attacked by some rebels earlier and facilitating movements for all. Protecting civilians under imminent threat of physical violence and ethnic clashes is also the duty of the peacekeepers, he added.
He said furthermore, the members of Bangladeshi contingent are doing the job of maintaining liaison among the rebel groups to promote confidence and trust between all Ivorian forces involved in the process.
They are implementing the arms embargo and monitoring the international borders to prevent infiltration from the neigbouring countries, he said and added besides, they are doing some humanitarian works