UNMIL Liberia is literally closing shop and, wrapping up its mission. The last military force is departing and Liberia's government is bidding farewell. Even UNMIL Radio is being handed over. I've been seeing quiet, dignified pictures on my Twitter and Facebook Newsfeeds of pictures of the SRSG and President George Weah, high-profile UN officials making speeches, presiding over a gathering and so on. I've seen photographs of the last military forces boarding planes. The last uniformed contingent was from Nigeria. I've also seen photographs of the Pakistani military hospital in Star Base, Freeport. I think some big wigs from the UN Headquarters are also here for the farewell ceremonies.
Even UNMIL Radio is going to be handed over.
 |
| With the Bangladeshi soldiers at Spriggs Payne Airport --27 November 2003 |
My dearest friend Rebecca Williams and I went on air on UNMIL Radio back in 2006 to raise awareness about the earthquake in Pakistan. We had a fund-raising drive and, she helped me to collect funds to donate back in Pakistan. Somehow we thought it would be fitting to do this since such a large Pakistani peacekeeping contingent was in Liberia. I went later to Pakistan and, traveled up to the mountains and identified 2 local NGOs to donate US $ 5,000 each.
After we went on air on UNMIL Radio, a caller rang up Rebecca to say he 'appreciated her voice.' We laughed a lot!
UNMIL Radio (91.5 FM) was very good in its programming and, before Liberian commercial radio stations started to come up, UNMIL Radio was the main radio station. Isn't that all one tuned into when driving around? But did UNMIL Radio help or crowd out local media? See this article from 2016: How the U.N. Silenced Liberia’s Press.
One of the first memories I have of hearing about UNMIL is that the Pakistani contingent could not establish their first post in Tubmanburg and were pushed back. This is at the time when the Mission was starting to establishes its control outside of Monrovia. But of course, since then, the Pakistani Peacekeepers really came to be respected as one of the most organised and 'good' contingents. I remember hearing that they were helping to reconstruct public buildings and, would go out of their way to help the public.
 |
| At the airfield in Zwedru 2 July 2008 |
I made a lot of friends amongst the Pakistani peacekeepers while I worked with the UN. While I was with UNJLC, a subsidiary of WFP, I often went to make reports about the logistical infrastructure: airports, sea ports, etc. I would often go to RIA to obtain some information and maps so our head office in Rome could make some GIS maps. There was a Pakistani contingent nearby and, of course, I made friends with them. I got invited to a few Eid parties and, met Pakistani civilians working at the UN Peacekeeping Mission and, even a few locals, including a few representatives from the Ahamdiyya Mission.
During the DDRR days, I visited a lot of Disarmament Camps and, one Colonel in Tubmanburg started calling me all the time and, said he wanted to come to Monrovia to take me out for lunch. I politely refused.
 |
| Boarding the heli for the flight back to Monrovia 2 July 2008 |
 |
| With an Ethiopian soldier Spriggs Payne Airport, Monrovia 2 July 2008 |
During my field visits, sometimes I had the good fortune to stay at a Pakistani camp. In Zorzor, I once had to stay overnight and, during dinner I made friends with a couple of the young Pakistani majors and, we stayed up until 1 or 2 AM talking about Led Zeppelin, Junoon and our favourite bands. The next morning, I said good and proceeded with my UNDP colleague (a civil engineer) to check up on some construction projects being implemented by some local NGOs in Lofa County. I kept up my friendship with the Pakistani majors over the years.
Once, I met a Bangladeshi Peacekeeper in the early days even before I joined UNDP and, he and I went on a few friendly dinner dates. The whole time he related to me stories of how much he missed his wife but at the same time, she was also very aloof from him. He had some weird facial expressions. I remember being bored of his stories while at Musu's Spot all the way in Congo Town.
I met a very nice man from Kenya who was in charge of the UNMIL flight operations at Spriggs Payne Airport and, later met him again at a party along with the deputy of UNDP who was from Kenya.
The UNMIL flight operations were truly a marvel. They ran flights internally in Liberia to all the major cities and, if you worked at a UN Agency it was not so difficult to get a seat. I took many fixed wing flights and helicopter flights, too. They were exciting! They also ran flights to Accra and back, so one wouldn't have to pay for the commercial flight to Accra and then take a flight back home. How much did it cost the UN to run their air operations for more than a decade? Were ordinary Liberians able to avail these flights?
Workwise, I remember going to the UNMIL Star Base along with my UNJLC colleagues to take note of daily security and sector briefings. While I was with UNDP, I remember going with my seniors to the UNMIL Headquarters at the Pan African Plaza to get some important signatures. Some of my seniors would always be bristling at having to get things signed by the Mission and, god, how many snide remarks would I be privy to.
I have met many many UNMIL civilian staff over the years, hailing from so many different countries. It is truly an international organisation with its own culture and values. Individual stories and hard work are commendable.
Workwise, I remember going to the UNMIL Star Base along with my UNJLC colleagues to take note of daily security and sector briefings. While I was with UNDP, I remember going with my seniors to the UNMIL Headquarters at the Pan African Plaza to get some important signatures. Some of my seniors would always be bristling at having to get things signed by the Mission and, god, how many snide remarks would I be privy to.
I have met many many UNMIL civilian staff over the years, hailing from so many different countries. It is truly an international organisation with its own culture and values. Individual stories and hard work are commendable.
During a dinner party, I met some a Pakistani Colonel and Major who I made very good friends with. We spent a lot of time together and, once they even hosted my friends and I at Blue Lake. We had boating and, then a splendid lunch on top of the hill. I had invited some Indian friends from the Indian business community and, only later I found out that my Pakistani Army friends sought permission before we arrived and didn't let us see any of the hassle of having to get that permission last minute.
One of the friends of the friends I made regaled us with hilarious stories about celebrities in Pakistan. The one I can clearly remember about is Ali Azmat and, how high he would get. He would go nude and start talking to his plants. And once, he put his girlfriend out of the house.
Good times!
One of the friends of the friends I made regaled us with hilarious stories about celebrities in Pakistan. The one I can clearly remember about is Ali Azmat and, how high he would get. He would go nude and start talking to his plants. And once, he put his girlfriend out of the house.
Good times!
 | |
|
 | |
|
 |
Day trip to Blue Lake hosted by my Pakistani Peacekeeping friends 2007
|
During my brother's visit from London, UK, I asked my Pakistani friends to host him up country. I think he had a good time checking out the Liberian countryside.
I met with some of the friends I made here back in Pakistan but lately I have lost touch. I should re-kindle the friendships.
I often used to think about how much the military in Pakistan is viewed as a negative insttitution that has interfered and destroyed democracy, controlled Foreign Policy, and used jihadi groups in proxy wars. But here in Liberia, one would be proud to hear about the Pakistani Peacekeepers.
It is definitely a bittersweet moment as UNMIL shuts down. There was always an uncertainty about the length of its mission. It's mission had to be renewed by the UN General Assembly every year. After some time, the purpose of its mission became vague. What was the mission there for? General security? Maintaining the roads? Installing Bailey Bridges? Were the able to control the Liberians from going to fight in Ivory Coast's electoral violence in 2010-2011? Was it to train the new Army? (No, the Americans got a big juicy contract to do that.) UNMIL had a huge mission in Liberia and, at a point it was the largest peacekeeping mission with 15,000 soldiers stationed here. That kind of a mission has a big civilian and military component and, just running the whole show required a huge budget (it's an 'assessed budget' if I remember correctly). Was more money spent to maintain and pay for the presence than to actually give assistance to the new state it was helping to put in place and re-build? I remember hearing or reading that the monthly running costs for UNMIL were a $ 1 billion per month (Could that right be right is my memory running away with me?).
I think depending on who you speak to, the memories and opinions about this peacekeeping mission will be varied and, interesting. All of these points of view points are important in understanding the role and legacy of UNMIL to form a complete picture.
And, today, Liberia's crucial physical and social infrastructure is still in shambles. Even former President Sirleaf lamented that she did not do more.
We knew that once (and, there was also a big if - as if...!) the 2017 Elections would go smoothly, UNMIL would start wrapping up. There was no longer a justification for its presence. It was interesting how so many people were convinced these elections would result in violence and chaos and, I wonder how many of these people's opinions were somehow linked to anxieties of their jobs. And, it's also interesting that UNMIL's presence was required for so long - a decade and a half.
 |
| Caption from Facebook "At Pak Batt Got hardly 3 hours of sleep because I was chatting to these guys the night before - about nothing and everything Zorzor, Lofa County 22 February 2007" |
I think depending on who you speak to, the memories and opinions about this peacekeeping mission will be varied and, interesting. All of these points of view points are important in understanding the role and legacy of UNMIL to form a complete picture.
And, today, Liberia's crucial physical and social infrastructure is still in shambles. Even former President Sirleaf lamented that she did not do more.
We knew that once (and, there was also a big if - as if...!) the 2017 Elections would go smoothly, UNMIL would start wrapping up. There was no longer a justification for its presence. It was interesting how so many people were convinced these elections would result in violence and chaos and, I wonder how many of these people's opinions were somehow linked to anxieties of their jobs. And, it's also interesting that UNMIL's presence was required for so long - a decade and a half.
No comments:
Post a Comment