The family of a Sierra Leonean peacekeeper who died in Somalia has received $50.000 as compensation,…
The family of a Sierra Leonean peacekeeper who died in Somalia has received $50.000 as compensation, the Sierra Leone army confirmed on Wednesday.
The peacekeeper, Septimus Starry, was part of the first batch of the Sierra Leone Armed Forces contingent in the African Union-backed peacekeeping mission in Somalia (AMISOM) which deployed in 2012. He died while on duty in southern Somalia where his contingent served.
His wife received the money amidst tears and praises for the AU which provided the money.
Presiding over the presentation ceremony, Lt General Samuel Omar Williams, Chief of Defense Staff of the Republic of Sierra Leone Army (RSLAF) described the deceased as a “brave” soldier who served his nation with patriotism.
Sierra Leone prematurely ended its contribution to AMISOM last year at the height of the Ebola epidemic after the Somali government expressed fear over a possible transmission of the disease. That halted the planned deployment of the second batch of peacekeepers already trained and on standby.
Source: The Star
