The 14th Ghanaian Battalion (GHANBATT 14) serving with the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI) on Friday 6 May 2011 organized a “Peace Caravan” in the Zanzan Region of the country.

The caravan was aimed at instilling confidence among the local population, create social cohesion and to return the area to normalcy following the post-electoral conflict in Cote d’Ivoire.

The “Peace Caravan”, organized in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Save the Children, a collection of Non-governmental Organisations’ in that region, formed part of the GHANBATT’s post-conflict, civil-military relations.

The ‘Peace Caravan’ moved along the main streets of Tanda and Koun-Fao and its environs. The Caravan ended at the respective central markets of Tanda and Koun-Fao where messages of peace, forgiveness reconciliation and the return to normalcy were delivered in several local dialects including Dioula, Koulango, Abron, Joula and French.

On the ‘Peace Caravan’ was the Commanding Officer of the UNOCI GHANBATT 14, Lt Col William Dagbe and his troops who were the brain behind the caravan, Military Observers, Police officers of the UNOCI as well as UN civilian counterparts.

“It is through forgiveness and acceptances of forgiveness for one another that can make the people of the Zanzan Region live together in peaceas one people, through discipline and hard work” were some of the messages used to sensitize the populace.

Earlier on Tuesday 19 and Wednesday 20 April 2011, GHANBATT 14 in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), organized a similar ‘Peace Caravan’ in Bondoukou and Bouna respectively.

Bondoukou where GHANBATT headquarters is located, Bouna,Tanda and Koun-Fao are the major towns in the Zanzan Region of Cote d’Ivoire, north-east of Abidjan. The Ghanaian Battalion is responsible for security in the Region.

Robison Omane-Agyei (Fg Offr) GHANCON PIO UNOCI