Twentyseven Rajput, the youngest battalion of Rajput Regiment, returned to India after completion of one- year tenure in Ethiopia-Eritrea UN mission (UNMEE). The contingent comprising 1206 members included personnel of Mechanised Infantry, Engineers, Signals, EME, Medical and Dental Corps of Indian Army.

The UN mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea was conducted in 2000 after a truce was brokered by the African Union for cessation of hostilities. It had been a real challenging task for the Indian battalion to maintain peace and tanquility along the 25 km-wide Temporary Security Zone which separates Ethiopia and Eritrea. The battalion instilled confidence in both the parties by its peacekeeping operations. It took expeditious action to resolve any incident amicably to the satisfaction of both the parties. The Indian troops displayed great restraint even on provocation and diffused situations by dialogue and use of innovative skills. During its tenure, the battalion administered itself well despite being deployed over an extent of 300 km. Altitudes varyied from 3000m above sea-level to 100m below sea-level and temperature was beyond 65°c at some locations.

In addition to its military tasks, the battalion also undertook various humanitarian activities to provide relief and succour to needy in the drought-prone areas. The focus had been on medical aid, supply of water, education and improvement in basic infrastructure. The military doctor and para-medical staff travelled on foot to reach remote locations and attended to over 41,000 civilian patients and also distributed medicines provided by the Indian government. Large tracts of roads in far-flung areas were repaired. Drinking water was provided to the local public and at some places even pipelines were laid by the Engineer troops to facilitate distribution. The battalion did a pioneering work by launching a computer literacy drive. The battalion also showed its love for ecology by planting a number of saplings wheresoever it was deployed. At one location, it developed a nature park with around 800 trees which it nurtured over the year. It worked in tandem with other UN agencies to provide help and resources for the needy. It also saved lives of many people by evacuating them from inaccessible areas when urgent medical attention was needed.

The Special Representative to the UN Secretary General, Ambassador Legwaila Joseph Legwaila lauded the efforts of the Indian troops towards realising the goals of UN mission in Ethiopia-Eritrea.

The Battalion, on its return, was felicitated by
Lt Gen JBS Yadava, Deputy Chief of Army Staff (T&C) at a function held at Delhi Cantt. Addressing the special sainik sammelan on this occasion, Lt Gen Yadava congratulated the officers and men for proving their calibre on a foreign soil.