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Sunday, September 19, 2010
Nigeria has asked the United Nations to pay African Union (AU) peacekeepers in Somalia the same rate of allowances as their UN counterparts.
It also demanded that Troop Contributing Countries (TCCs) should be refunded early for their Contingency Owned Equipment (COE). Nigeria's Permanent Representative to the UN, Joy Ogwu, told a Security Council meeting on the situation in Somalia that the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISON) was in dire need of support commensurate with its operational mandates. "Given AMISOM's commendable role, concerted efforts should be made to provide support that is commensurate with the operational mandates. It is a recipe for failure to deploy troops without giving them the requisite support, particularly when the support is available.
It is time, therefore, to rethink our support strategy," Ms Ogwu said at the meeting. The current monthly rates paid by the UN per peacekeeper include: $1,028 for pay and allowances; $303 supplementary pay for specialists; $68 for personal clothing, gear and equipment; and $5 for personal weaponry. The UN pays force-contributing governments, which in turn pay their own troops and police, according to their national rank and salary scales.
Source: 234Next