, Major General Olufemi Sawyer (rtd), says Nigeria’s.){kind=link}
A former Force Commander of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), Major General Olufemi Sawyer (rtd), says Nigeria’s leadership on the global stage continues to command respect.
He said this reflects the nation’s growing influence in international peacekeeping and diplomacy.
Major General Sawyer stated this during an interview with Voice of Nigeria, where he shared insights from his international mission experience and its impact on Nigeria’s foreign policy posture.
He described leading the UNISFA mission as both “a thing of joy” and a major diplomatic achievement for Nigeria, noting that his appointment projected the country’s image positively within the UN system.
According to the former Force Commander, “When you see a mission being headed by a general from your own country, it projects that country. The last time we had someone head a UN mission was long ago. So when I came on board, I was well accepted in the UN system.”
Major General Sawyer said; “under his command, the mission brought together eight contingents – from Ghana, Nigeria, China, India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Vietnam, with a total of about 3,500 peacekeepers in one operational structure.
“This amplified Nigeria’s leadership profile and aligned with the country’s foreign policy objectives of regional and international engagement.”
Beyond military command, the mission he said offered rare diplomatic exposure.
“It gave me an opportunity to interact with people from different parts of the world,” Major General Sawyer said, describing how both uniformed and civilian personnel from multiple nationalities experienced Nigeria’s leadership first-hand.
He particularly highlighted the professionalism of the Nigerian base defence company of about 161 troops stationed at the UNISFA camp.
Major General Sawyer said; “The Nigerian-based defence company showed a very high level of professionalism. When people broke into the camp to steal, they arrested them without molestation and handed them over to local authorities.”
In one incident he recalled, stolen items were recovered in less than an hour – a reflection of the Nigerian Army’s operational discipline before the international community.
Major General Sawyer said another strategic layer of his mission was high-level engagement with government officials of both Sudan and South Sudan, two countries at the heart of the Abyei conflict.
“It was very interesting because I had to meet with the highest leadership of both countries. You see the interplay of international politics and how conflicts arise unnecessarily,” he explained, noting how such engagements deepened Nigeria’s role in international diplomacy and conflict resolution.
He affirmed that Nigeria’s continued participation in UN peacekeeping operations remains a strong pillar of its global credibility and commitment to world peace.