Defence minister pledges to document ECOMOG fallen troops, veterans seek remembrance day
- Defence Minister Christopher Musa says Nigeria will not forget troops who died in ECOMOG missions in Liberia and Sierra Leone.
- He told a delegation of ECOMOG veterans in Abuja that records of casualties and historical assets will be completed.
- The veterans, led by retired Maj. Gen. Ohifeme Ejimai, want a remembrance day for the hundreds who died.
The Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.), has said Nigeria will keep alive the memory of its soldiers who died serving in the West African peacekeeping force ECOMOG, particularly during the conflicts in Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Musa made the pledge in Abuja on Friday while hosting a group of ECOMOG veterans at the Ministry of Defence headquarters, according to a statement from his media aide, Leah Katung-Babatunde.
The delegation was led by retired Maj. Gen. Ohifeme Ejimai.
ECOMOG, the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group, was set up by ECOWAS in 1990 as a regional peacekeeping and peace enforcement force. Nigeria supplied much of its leadership, troops and funding, and the force was central to efforts to restore order and protect civilians in Liberia and Sierra Leone.
What the minister promised
Musa said the government would finish the work of recording ECOMOG's outstanding records, its casualties and its historical assets, so that future generations can learn from them.
He also noted the scale of what Nigeria put into the operations, both in personnel and money, and said the country owes those who died a lasting record of their service.
Ejimai, for his part, briefed the minister on what the veterans' group is doing and on how surviving Nigerian personnel who served under ECOMOG are faring. He said the veterans are still ready to contribute to national development and security.
The retired general asked the ministry to close the gaps in how ECOMOG's history has been documented. He also proposed that Nigeria set aside a day to remember the hundreds of Nigerian troops who died in the operations.
According to the veterans, such a day would let the country formally recognise the sacrifices of fallen personnel and keep their role in regional peace and security in public memory.
The visit comes as attention returns to preserving the institutional memory of Nigeria's military engagements abroad and recognising personnel who served in regional and international peacekeeping missions.
What happens next
No date has been announced for the documentation work or for any remembrance day. Both now rest on follow-up between the Ministry of Defence and the veterans' group.
