India’s peacekeeping team powers Congo rescue ops
NEW DELHI: The Indian Army played a crucial role in the evacuation of civilians and United Nations personnel from North Kivu’s capital Goma after a volcano erupted in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Saturday, officials familiar with the development said on Sunday.
The Indian Army’s brigade involved in peacekeeping operations in the African country is headquartered in Goma, and it accounts for the largest deployment of Indian forces on foreign soil alongside South Sudan. “The Indian brigade HQS held its ground and in a calculated and calm manner, thinned out 70% of the strength of the camp and sent them to the Himbi company operating base (COB) for safety. A minimum strength continued to hold onto the camp ensuring no threat to UN and national assets as also providing security to empty aviation base and aviation fuel stored there,” said one of the officials cited above.
There are more than 2,300 Indian troops with the UN’S costliest peacekeeping mission in the Congo, a sprawling (the size of western Europe), and notoriously unstable country formerly known as Zaire. Sandwiched between Nyiragongo volcano and the exploding lake Kivu, Indian soldiers are operating in the Congo under a 15-minute evacuation plan. The Indian brigade is located next to the Goma airfield, which plays an important role in providing logistics support to UN peacekeepers deployed in eastern
Congo. Mount Nyiragongo, located near Goma, erupted on Saturday night, causing panic. “Most of the lava, however, has flowed towards Rwanda and only a small stream is trickling towards Goma. As a precautionary measure, various country contingents were told to be on alert by the UN’S internal security system that calculated that evacuation will not be required. However, a majority of the country contingents evacuated immediately,” the official said.
India has a long history of deploying troops in the Congo: the first Indian blue berets (the colour used on UN duty) served from 1960 to 1965. It is the only UN mission where an Indian soldier — Captain GS Salaria — was awarded the Param Vir Chakra. He died in 1961, trying to save the Katanga province from falling to rebels.