UN Secretary-General António Guterres has thanked the African Member States and the African Union Commission for supporting peace operations in Africa, saying that the service and sacrifice of African peacekeepers are "at the forefront of our minds." The UN chief's praise for the work of Blue Helmets and other peacekeeping personnel was part of his address to Heads of State gathered at the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Sunday. Mr Guterres was speaking the day after three Ethiopian peacekeepers serving in the United Mission in Abyei (UNISFA) were killed, when a military helicopter carrying troops crashed in the Mission compound whilst on a routine operation. "To be fully effective," he said, "these African peace operations require robust mandates from the Security Council and predictable, sustainable financing, including assessed contributions." The Secretary-General said that he had been determined from his first day in office to been determined to forge ever closer ties between the United Nations and Africa, noting a significant improvement in strategic cooperation between the UN and the African Union.

Source: Ethiopian News February 11, 2019 10:30 UTC