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That time the UN Just FORGOT about a whole Unit of Peacekeepers in Sierra Leone

Colin Parkinson

Army.ca Myth
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Sadly I am just not surprised, this is such a UN thing to do.

That time the UN Just FORGOT about a whole Unit of Peacekeepers in Sierra Leone​


In an organisation as gigantic as the United Nations, things sometimes go missing. A stapler here, a pen there... Oh yeah, and that time they lost an entire infantry platoon in Sierra Leone. Good thing too, because that platoon teamed up with the British special forces to defeat a massive attack by Gangsta Rap fanatics. This is their crazy story.

 

Sadly I am just not surprised, this is such a UN thing to do.

That time the UN Just FORGOT about a whole Unit of Peacekeepers in Sierra Leone​


In an organisation as gigantic as the United Nations, things sometimes go missing. A stapler here, a pen there... Oh yeah, and that time they lost an entire infantry platoon in Sierra Leone. Good thing too, because that platoon teamed up with the British special forces to defeat a massive attack by Gangsta Rap fanatics. This is their crazy story.

So my experience with Nigerian Army - that platoon was the 1% of the 1%, as the rest would have been ravaging marauders - and probably have joined the insurgency themselves.
 
So the UN forgot about them and their operational effectiveness increased considerably? That checks out.
I used to say about ROE in a certain island nation you’d better have a sucking chest wound before you shoot back
 
. . . the UN Just FORGOT about a whole Unit of Peacekeepers . . .

The "UN" or the national contingent HQ?

The title as presented is attractive clickbait and while the reputation of UNPKO is less than stellar, the day to day command and control , pers state and financial arrangements for individuals (save perhaps UNMOs) and sub-sub-sub units are (or were in my experience) mostly left to the contingents. Considering the nationality (Nigerian), haphazard pay, feeding and quartering is not only unsurprising but expected. Add in the conflict between the Nigerians (who felt snubbed by the lesser role given them in commanding the force) with the Indian force commander and there was probably less than normal communications to higher HQ. In that period of overlap (about one year) during which ECOMAG was wound down and UNAMSIL was stood up and expanded there were several thousand Nigerian troops in country in both forces. Sixteen soldiers are a rounding error for a Nigerian commander (or prince) who, at various levels of command and venality, may only have noticed their absence if his cut of their UN supplied pay was not kicked-back.

If that was such an interesting part of the story, why was it not mentioned in contemporary news stories about the action?
 
The "UN" or the national contingent HQ?

The title as presented is attractive clickbait and while the reputation of UNPKO is less than stellar, the day to day command and control , pers state and financial arrangements for individuals (save perhaps UNMOs) and sub-sub-sub units are (or were in my experience) mostly left to the contingents. Considering the nationality (Nigerian), haphazard pay, feeding and quartering is not only unsurprising but expected. Add in the conflict between the Nigerians (who felt snubbed by the lesser role given them in commanding the force) with the Indian force commander and there was probably less than normal communications to higher HQ. In that period of overlap (about one year) during which ECOMAG was wound down and UNAMSIL was stood up and expanded there were several thousand Nigerian troops in country in both forces. Sixteen soldiers are a rounding error for a Nigerian commander (or prince) who, at various levels of command and venality, may only have noticed their absence if his cut of their UN supplied pay was not kicked-back.

If that was such an interesting part of the story, why was it not mentioned in contemporary news stories about the action?
1993 in a former part of the FRY. The UNCIVPOL station chief was a Norge I believe. One of his "officers" was a fireman who kicked back half his UN pay to the village chief.

Oh and the Nigerians left Sector South - and had much the same reputation as your example.
 
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