Malawi Defence Force (MDF) chief of staff Major General George Jaffu Junior says the military will withdraw soldiers involved in acts of indiscipline during peacekeeping missions in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

He sounded the warning on Thursday at Chikala Hills in Machinga District at the end of the 12-month pre-deployment training of 731 troops as required by the United Nations (UN).

Some of the troops during the drills on Thursday

Jaffu said the training equipped the soldiers with special knowledge required by all peacekeeping personnel to function effectively during UN peacekeeping operations.

He stressed that Malawi has a good track record of accomplishment in UN peacekeeping missions and the force expects them to maintain standards or even surpass the previous records.

Jaffu said: “We will not hesitate to have you withdrawn if you lack the required discipline and dedication.”

British High Commissioner David Pert said they supported the MDF training because of the historical military culture and customs link between the British and Malawians which stretches long way back.

“Malawi is one of the top troop contributing countries who are not only meeting but also exceeding the ambitious UN targets of deploying women on peace support operations,” he said.

On his part, United States Ambassador David Young commended the soldiers for their commitment and said his country will continue to be dedicated to peacekeeping missions.

The troops will be deployed to the DRC under the Force Interventions Brigade of the UN Organisation Mission for the Stabilisation of Congo, commonly known as Monusco. They have been trained by US, UK and Brazilian forces.

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