Antonio Guterres pays tribute to Moroccan, Cambodian soldiers killed in CAR

26 Octobre 2017

New York, US, October 26 (Infosplusgabon) -  United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who is visiting the Central African Republic, on Wednesday paid tribute to Moroccan and Cambodian peacekeepers killed in the year in the exercise of their mission of peacekeeping and protection of the local population, according to his spokesman Farhan Haq.

The spokesman, who was speaking to reporters, said Guterres, who visited the Bangassou base of the UN Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), laid a wreath of flowers as a tribute to the soldiers of the Royal Forces of Morocco killed in an armed attack perpetrated against their patrol team, and also to the Cambodian soldiers, killed at the beginning of this year.

In a speech on this occasion, the UN Secretary General expressed his "gratitude" to the military and police contingents present in Bangassou, regretting the deaths of the Moroccan and Cambodian soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the defense of the rights and security of the Central African people.

"I had the opportunity to address the King of Morocco and convey my condolences to the Moroccan people, and I want to do it here in a direct way to all the colleagues and heroic soldiers who have fallen for the defense of peace, 'Guterres said.

He added "You are doing an extraordinary job of courage. You are protecting civilians in a situation where peacekeeping is done without peace really being there. And you do it with an absolutely extraordinary sacrifice.''

"I am proud to be your colleague and I am proud to be here with you and to be able to express my gratitude and the gratitude of the United Nations for your work, which is of enormous importance, firstly for the Central African people, but also for our organization and for its reputation in the world," he added.

FIN/INFOSPLUSGABON/IRO/GABON 2017

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