In Pursuit of Peace in Africa

Daniel Opande

Description

Lieutenant General Daniel Opande, in his autobiography In Pursuit of Peace in Africa, shares his experiences in childhood, education, family and military career until his retirement. He wore many hats: soldier, military leader, peacemaker, humanitarian, peace ambassador and mediator. Notable highlights include his role in Kenya's Shifta Campaign of the 1960s and engaging with rebels during peace operations he led in Namibia, Mozambique, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. In retirement, General Opande has occasionally mediated conflicts; among them the 2007, 2008, 2013 and 2017 election crises in Kenya and the aftermath of the 2015 upheavals in South Sudan. This book is a rich inspirational resource for aspiring leaders.

Informations

• Publié par: East African Educational Publishers
• Date de parution: 23 août 2019
• Nombre de lectures: 2
• EAN13: 9789966566027
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

Lieutenant General
DANIEL OPANDE
In Pursuit of Peace in Africa:
An Autobiography
K ENWAY B IOGRAPHICAL W ORKS
1. SUSAN WOOD: A Fly in Amber
2. MICHAEL BLUNDELL: A Love Affair with the Sun
3. JOMO KENYATTA: Facing Mount Kenya
4. PROF JOSEPH MAINA MUNGAI: From Simple to Complex: The Journey of a Herdsboy
5. GG KARIUKI: Illusion of Power
6. WAITHAKA WAIHENYA: The Mediator: General Sumbeiywo and the Sudan Peace Process
7. MADATALLY MANJI: Madatally Manji: Memoirs of a Biscuit Baron
8. ALLAN DONOVAN: My Journey Through African Heritage
9. YUSUF K DAWOOD: Nothing but the Truth
10. DOUGLAS COLLINS: Tales from Africa
11. ANNABEL MAULE: Theatre Near the Equator
12. ELIJAH MALOK: The Southern Sudan: Struggle for Liberty
13. VALERIE CUTHBERT: Wings of the Wind
14. DAVID GOLDSWORTHY: Tom Mboya: The Man Kenya Wanted to Forget
15. OGINGA ODINGA: Not Yet Uhuru
16. TOM MBOYA: Freedom and After
17. NGŨGĨ WA THIONG’O: Dreams in a Time of War
18. NJENGA KARUME with MUTU WA GETHOI: Beyond Expectations: From Charcoal to Gold
19. WANJIRU WAITHAKA and EVANS MAJENI: A Profile of Kenyan Entreprenuers
20. KEVIN LILLIS: Running for Black Gold: Fifty Years of African Athletics
21. PETER KAGWANJA with HUMPHREY RINGERA: Kiraitu Murungi: An Odyssey in Kenyan Politics
22. NGŨGĨ WA THIONG’O: In the House of the Interpreter
23. ROBERT F STEPHENS: Kenyan Student Airlifts to America, 1959-1961: An Educational Odyssey
24. JEREMIAH GITAU KIEREINI: A Daunting Journey
25. JOE KHAMISI: Dash before Dusk: A Slave Descendant’s Journey in Freedom
26. GEORGE MAGOHA: Tower of Transformational Leadership
27. Lieutenant General DANIEL OPANDE: In Pursuit of Peace in Africa: An Autobiography
Lieutenant General
DANIEL OPANDE
In Pursuit of Peace in Africa: An Autobiography
Published by
East African Educational Publishers Ltd.
Elgeyo Marakwet Close, off Elgeyo Marakwet Road, Kilimani, Nairobi
P.O. Box 45314, Nairobi - 00100, KENYA
Tel: [phone]
Mobile: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.eastafricanpublishers.com
East African Educational Publishers also has offices or is represented in the following countries: Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana and South Sudan.
© Daniel Opande, 2019
All rights reserved.
First published 2019
ISBN
Paperback - 978-9966-56-431-3
Hardback - 978-9966-56-432-0
CONTENTS
Dedication
Foreword
Acknowledgements
Acronyms and Abbreviations
Chapter 1: Early Years
Chapter 2: Death of My Mother
Chapter 3: Education
Chapter 4: Military Training
Chapter 5: Shifta Campaign
Chapter 6: Professional Growth
Chapter 7: Moi Barracks, Eldoret
Chapter 8: Aid to Civil Authority
Chapter 9: Namibia
Chapter 10: Mozambique
Chapter 11: Liberia I
Chapter 12: Family
Chapter 13: National Defence College
Chapter 14: Sierra Leone
Chapter 15: Liberia II
Chapter 16: Concerned Citizens for Peace
Afterword
Annex: Honours and Awards
End notes
Index
Dedication
To the memory of:
My late parents
&
My late wife Rose
Foreword
Amongst the many people from around the world whom I came to know during our struggle for Namibia’s independence, General Daniel Opande was one who stood firm with our bitter struggling people. My first encounter with him was in Luanda, Angola in early April 1989 when he came to brief me on security violations in northern Namibia by the then South African colonial security forces. He was a senior member of the United Nations Transition Assistance Group (UNTAG) that did tremendous work to assist and monitor Namibia’s elections through the process of transition to freedom from the Apartheid South Africa’s colonialism.
The United Nations was a major interlocutor of the peace process that was achieved successfully despite many challenges. To many of us, and in particular SWAPO leadership, rank and file, General Opande was more than just a UN peacekeeper; he demonstrated great leadership acumen in peacekeeping and conflict resolution. He forever remains a great friend of the Namibian people and myself, in particular.
An exemplary military officer in his own country, General Opande worked tirelessly for peace across the African continent from Namibia to Mozambique, Sierra Leone to Liberia. He did so during the dark periods of conflicts and struggles in those countries.
General Opande is a skillful and compassionate leader with a unique legacy. He never fired a shot during his participation in conflict areas. Rather, his selflessness and effective combination of diligence, diplomacy and strategic skills helped to bring about some of his most notable and beneficial outcomes in peacekeeping.
General Opande’s autobiography vividly elucidates the efforts and energy of one man with a firm belief in the dignity of human life and an unwavering commitment to achieve the right goals. It records a great career of leadership and educates us on the role we ought to play to foster and seek a better world.

DR. SAM NUJOMA, Founding President of The Republic of Namibia (1990 - 2005) and First President of SWAPO
Acknowledgements
I am indebted to a great number of people without whose help and assistance this book could not have been written. These include General Samson Mwathethe, General Jeremiah Mutinda Kianga, Lieutenant General John Koech, Lieutenant General Leonard Ngondi, Major General Hezron Murunga, Major General George Mbao, Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Kamau, Captain Fred Lengees, Eugenia O’Neal and ambassadors Bethuel Kiplagat and Boaz Mbaya whose tremendous support went far beyond the call of duty.
Special thanks go to my family and to my partner Dawn “Akinyi” Juliana Smith who constantly urged me to write this book.
Since it is not possible to list all the people who assisted in the process of writing, I wish to express my general gratitude to them all. Many thanks for your support and encouragement.
Acronyms and Abbreviations
7KR
– 7 th Battalion Kenya Rifles
9KR
– 9 th Battalion Kenya Riffles
ACPA
– Accra Comprehensive Peace Agreement
ADC
– Aide de Camp
AFL
– Armed Forces of Liberia
AFMIS
– African Union Mission in Sudan
AFOD
– Armed Forces Ordinance Depot
AFRC
– Armed Forces Revolutionary Council
AFTC
– Armed Forces Training College
AG
– Attorney General
APC
– Armoured Personnel Carrier
APC
– All People’s Congress
ATA
– Anti-terrorism Assistance Programme
AU
– African Union
BANENGR
– Bangladeshi Engineering Company
BANSIG 2
– Bangladeshi Contingent
BEF
– British Expeditionary Force
CAP
– Citizens’ Agenda for Peace
CBD
– Central Business District
CBS
– Chief of the Burning Spear
CCP
– Concerned Citizens for Peace
CDF
– Chief of Defence Forces
CDF
– Civil Defence Forces
CGS
– Chief of General Staff
CIC
– Commander-in-Chief
CIO
– [Rhodesian] Central Intelligence Organisation
CIVPOL
– [UN International] Civilian Police
CMO
– Chief Military Observer
CMS
– Church Missionary Society
CO
– Commanding Officer
COMIVE
– Committee for the Verification of the Beira Corridor
CoP
– Commissioner of Police
CPA
– Comprehensive Peace Accord
DC
– District Commissioner
DDR
– Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration
DEB
– District Education Board
DFC
– Deputy Force Commander
DoD
– Department of Defence
DPKO
– Department of Peacekeeping Operations
DRC
– Democratic Republic of Congo
DTA
– Democratic Turnhalle Alliance
DZ
– Dropping Zone
EAI
– East African Industries
EBS
– Elder of the Burning Spear
ECK
– Electoral Commission of Kenya
ECOMIL
– Economic Community Military Mission in Liberia
ECOMOG
– Economic Community Military Observer Group
ECOWAS
– Economic Community of West African States
FAPLA
– People’s Armed Forces of Liberation of Angola
FC
– Force Commander
FERA
– February 18 Revolutionary Army
FRELIMO
– Mozambique Liberation Front
G4S
– Group 4 Securicor
GAS
– Government African School
GOC
– General Officer Commanding
GoL
– Government of Liberia
HQs
– Headquarters
IATA
– International Air Transport Association
ICC
– International Criminal Court
ICU
– Intensive Care Unit
IDP(s)
– Internally Displaced Person(s)
IGNU
– Interim Government of National Unity
IMRT
– Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy
INPFL
– Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia
IRC
– International Red Cross
JCD
– Joint Committee on Disarmament
JCDDR
– Joint Committee on Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration
KADU
– Kenya African Democratic Union
KAF
– Kenya Air Force
KANU
– Kenya African National Union
KAPE
– Kenya African Primary Examinations
KAR
– King’s African Rifles
KDF