The Garda Commissioner this afternoon, Friday 1st April 2011, welcomed honoured guests, colleagues and friends to the Garda Headquarters to “commemorate a very historic time in the history of An Garda Síochána when we deployed the first ever contingent of members on a United Nations Mission.”
The Commissioner thanked those “who served on the mission with such distinction” and extended his “thanks and appreciation for the difficult and challenging role you undertook, and the professional way you carried out your duties”.
He took the time to “pay tribute to two of our colleagues Garda Des Connelly and Garda Joe O’Keeffe who were on that mission with you but unfortunately are no longer with us”.
He also “acknowledged the presence here today of former Deputy Commissioner Peter Fitzgerald who has played such an important role in UN operations over the years and in projecting a positive image of An Garda Síochána”.
Also in attendance was the Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence, Alan Shatter T.D. who added that “I am glad, too, to be here to mark the posting of Garda members to Namibia to take part in an important United Nations mission”.
Background information to event:
The United Nations Transition Assistance Group (UNTAG) was a United Nations peacekeeping force deployed in accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 435 in the April of 1989 in what was then called South-West Africa, now Namibia. Its role was to monitor the peace process there, and ensure free and fair elections leading to the regions independence, and the end of South African rule.
The civilian police formed the largest part of the civilian component of UNTAG at 1500 personnel. These police were used both to monitor police and security force actions, to prevent electoral intimidation or human rights violations as well as to assist with the establishment and maintenance of law and order in contested regions. 25 member states including Ireland contributed police officers to the force, which was led by ex Assistant Commissioner Steven Fanning.
After 75 years of South African rule, the tiny nation of Namibia, Africa’s last colony, received its independence on March 21, 1990.
Voting had gone smoothly with voters standing in lines of up to half a mile long in some places to vote.
Celebrations took place in the Windhoek Sports Stadium with illuminaries such as the then recently released Nelson Mandela in attendance.
The Garda Role:
In 1989 the Government of the day passed the Garda Síochána Act which permitted for the first time, members of An Garda Síochána to participate with the United Nations Civilian Police Component on Overseas Missions. It was decided that 35 Gardai would be sent to Namibia to help oversee the holding of free and fair elections and the transition to democracy. Having been selected, these Gardai then went through a rigorous training programme of six weeks in which nothing was left to chance. On Friday 14th April 1989, the Garda Contingent under Chief Superintendent Noel Anderson departed from Dublin landing the following morning on Windhoek, Namibia.
Since then over eight hundred and ninety five (895) members of An Garda Síochána have served on overseas duties in twenty-five (25) different locations throughout Europe, Asia, Africa and South America. Members of An Garda Síochána continue to serve with the UNFICYP Mission in Cyprus and the European Union Police Mission (EUPM) in Bosnia & Herzegovina and have established a reputation for professional, competent and humane execution of their tasks. Garda Officers have been appointed to senior posts on other overseas mission’s including Cyprus (UNFICYP) and the Balkans.
Tragically one member of the Force, Sergeant Paul Reid, has died while serving with the United Nations Protection Force in Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina.
Photographs of today’s ceremony are available on request by e-mail from the Garda Press Office - pressoffice@garda.ie
Garda Press Office.
