Congo: IAF to pull out 25 copters
The Indian Air Force has decided to pull out 25 helicopters that are currently on UN peacekeeping missions in the African nations of Congo and Sudan “in a phased manner” and utilise them for domestic operations.
While it is being speculated that at least some of these choppers could be used in the anti-Naxal effort for casualty-evacuation and communication, there was no official word on this. Defence sources only confirmed that 17 Mi-17 choppers and 8 Mi-35 attack helicopters would be pulled out of Congo and Sudan.
In fact, all IAF personnel on UN peacekeeping duties in Sudan and Congo are likely to return by March next year, sources said. On Thursday, a fresh IAF contingent — possibly the last one to leave for Congo on peacekeeping duties — was “flagged off” for deployment in Congo. Union home minister P. Chidambaram stated on Wednesday that the government would “provide more helicopters.
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UN probes Armyman ‘misconduct’
New Delhi, July 15: An Indian Army officer is under a probe by the United Nations’ mission in Congo on sexual exploitation and abuse charges after he was allegedly found in the company of sex workers in a hotel there.
The investigation is under way at Congo, where the Indian troops are based under the UN mission, and the Army headquarters here has been informed in this regard. Defence ministry sources said here that Major R.S. Ghumman, belonging to the Jammu and Kashmir Rifles battalion, was being questioned by the probe team. Visiting sex workers while on serving under the UN flag is barred as per the peace-keeping rules and code of conduct prescribed for the Congo mission. The probe is being handled by the Conduct and Discipline Unit of the UN.
—PTI
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