About 600 students will benefit from technical and vocational skills training at a new resource centre equipped with computers, sewing machines and a library, courtesy of Pakistani peacekeepers serving with the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL).

The Pakistan-Liberia Friendship Centre is located in C. H. Deway High School in Tubmanburg, some 60 kilometres west of Monrovia, the capital of the West African nation that is seeking to recover from a brutal civil war that killed almost 150,000 people.

Pakistani contingent commander Brigadier General Ahmad Nawaz said the centre is the manifestation of the services rendered by his troops over the years to strengthen peace in Liberia. He reaffirmed the commitment of his troops to help improve the quality of education in Liberia.

"The centre signifies the love, cooperation and support given to the peacekeepers during the implementation of their assigned mandate," said General Nawaz, commending the local communities for making his contingent's mission enjoyable and fruitful through their friendly relations.

Rev. David Ballah, Principal of C. H. Deway High School, said the centre would help enhance the teaching-and-learning process in the school by giving students the opportunity to acquire skills through practice.

UNMIL Force Commander Lt.-Gen. Chikadibia Isaac Obiakor lauded the Pakistani contingent for their active involvement in building peace through community empowerment projects such as renovating schools, providing computers and educational materials, and skills training.

He called on Liberians to take the initiative to build their country, saying "self-help is a very necessary attribute in national development."

Established in September 2003, UNMIL supports the implementation of the ceasefire agreement and the peace process; protects UN staff, facilities and civilians; bolsters humanitarian and human rights activities; and assists in national security reform, including national police training and the formation of a new, restructured military.