VOA常速英语2007-Nigeria Committed to Peacekeeping Despite Sudan

By Sarah Simpson
Abuja
06 October 2007

Nigeria gave seven soldiers a state burial in the federal capital Abuja on Friday. The seven were killed while on a peacekeeping mission in Sudan's troubled Darfur region. Sarah Simpson reports for VOA from Abuja that officials used the occasion to reaffirm Nigeria's commitment to peacekeeping missions. 
 
A brass¹ band accompanied the soldiers' journey to their graves as government dignitaries and grief stricken family members looked on at a military cemetery² on Abuja's outskirts³.

Along with a Nigerian flag, the coffins⁴ also bore the African Union flag under which these troops were serving when they were shot dead in Sudan's troubled Darfur region.  At least 10 African Union peacekeepers were killed in the attack last month, which African Union military officers blamed on Darfur rebels.

Nigeria contributes more troops to peacekeeping mission in Africa than any other country on the continent.  Aliyu Umar, a government official who represented President Umar Yar'Adua at the burials, says Nigeria will continue to play an important role in the region.

"Nigeria will continue to play an integral role in the world and particularly in the Africa sub-region in maintaining peace and stability and where ever we are called and wherever we feel it is necessary to be, Nigeria will be there," he said.

Nigeria has won both international respect and commendation for its willingness to contribute substantial troops to peaceful military interventions⁵ in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Sudan and many of the continent's other hot spots.

Military spokesman Colonel Mohammed Yusuf says it is only natural that Nigeria, with the largest population and one of the largest fighting forces on the continent, should take an interest in regional problems.

"The strength of our military is quiet high," he noted⁶.  "Remember that we are quite populous⁷ in Nigeria. We are one of the most populous African countries - black African - in the whole world. So that is why we assist our neighbors anywhere. So it is not that we are trying to prove anything but because we have the strength [to do something]."

Nigerian forces have not always been seen as a force for good. In the mid-1990s, when Nigeria was ruled by the military, Nigerian troops were feared as much as militia⁸ fighters by the Sierra Leonean civilians⁹ they had supposedly come to assist.

In their home country, Nigerian troops are feared for their willingness to open fire at times on their own civilians.

But Yusuf said investigations¹⁰ into the attack in Darfur would be carried out at the highest level.

"Definitely those who committed this atrocity¹¹ are known, and a high level board of inquiry¹² is being set up to fish out those who did it," he added.

For the families it is a time of grief. Private Ajao Toyin was 25 and the youngest to die in the attack in Sudan.   Through tears, his brother Olatunji remembers his younger sibling¹³ with pride.

"We are proud of him - a very intelligent boy. Very competent indeed," he said.

The men were buried with full military honors including a '21 gun salute¹⁴.'

Nigeria is part of the 7,000 strong African Union mission in Sudan. The September 29 attack was the worst single incident involving AU peacekeepers in Dafur since they were deployed¹⁵ in 2004. The African Union mission is due to be replaced by a joint¹⁶ AU-United Nations force for Darfur.

1 brass   

n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器

参考例句：

• Many of the workers play in the factory's brass band.许多工人都在工厂铜管乐队中演奏。
• Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc.黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。

2 cemetery   

n.坟墓，墓地，坟场

参考例句：

• He was buried in the cemetery.他被葬在公墓。
• His remains were interred in the cemetery.他的遗体葬在墓地。

3 outskirts   

n.郊外，郊区

参考例句：

• Our car broke down on the outskirts of the city.我们的汽车在市郊出了故障。
• They mostly live on the outskirts of a town.他们大多住在近郊。

4 coffins   

n.棺材( coffin的名词复数 )；使某人早亡[死，完蛋，垮台等]之物

参考例句：

• The shop was close and hot, and the atmosphere seemed tainted with the smell of coffins. 店堂里相当闷热，空气仿佛被棺木的味儿污染了。 来自辞典例句
• Donate some coffins to the temple, equal to the number of deaths. 到寺庙里，捐赠棺材盒给这些死者吧。 来自电影对白

5 interventions   

n.介入，干涉，干预( intervention的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Economic analysis of government interventions deserves detailed discussion. 政府对经济的干预应该给予充分的论述。 来自辞典例句
• The judge's frequent interventions made a mockery of justice. 法官的屡屡干预是对正义的践踏。 来自互联网

6 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

7 populous   

adj.人口稠密的，人口众多的

参考例句：

• London is the most populous area of Britain.伦敦是英国人口最稠密的地区。
• China is the most populous developing country in the world.中国是世界上人口最多的发展中国家。

8 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

9 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

10 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

11 atrocity   

n.残暴，暴行

参考例句：

• These people are guilty of acts of great atrocity.这些人犯有令人发指的暴行。
• I am shocked by the atrocity of this man's crimes.这个人行凶手段残忍狠毒使我震惊。

12 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

13 sibling   

n.同胞手足(指兄、弟、姐或妹)

参考例句：

• Many of us hate living in the shadows of a more successful sibling.我们很多人都讨厌活在更为成功的手足的阴影下。
• Sibling ravalry has been common in this family.这个家里，兄弟姊妹之间的矛盾很平常。

14 salute   

vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮

参考例句：

• Merchant ships salute each other by dipping the flag.商船互相点旗致敬。
• The Japanese women salute the people with formal bows in welcome.这些日本妇女以正式的鞠躬向人们施礼以示欢迎。

15 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

16 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。