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Interview with Nader Darwich

Chief of Mission Support

MINURSO

On the administrative side we have because it's close to a city, but the others
finance, personnel, procurement -- and really are "in the middle of nowhere".
we used to have "general services". Therefore, they need everything and we
star-
provide them with everything
Q: Why do you not have general ting with accommodation. We build the
services anymore? camps. The camps need electricity, so we
provide them with that. Generators need
Q: What exactly do you do? We have a property management sec- fuel, so we provide them with that. Then
tion which takes care of property. This they need communications -- this im-
Our job is to take care of the entire ad- does not mean buildings but computers, plies data and sound. They need to talk
ministration of the mission and provide desks -- all of these are called property. to their families and to us, so we provide
support both to the military and to the These are the main issues. Each section them with that. Then they need to eat, so
RSG (the Secretary-General's Special has a different role and each section is we have to find them food, and water to
Representative). Our job is to take led by a section chef with various num- drink. When they have received all that,
the staff member or military observer bers of staff -- both international and they need to spend some time working,
from his/her home, bring them here, national. We have 102 international so we give them a car to go on patrol and
support them during their tour of duty posts, and 174 nationals; there are also 20 we ensure that there is fuel for the car.
and send them back home. For military volunteers from different nationalities: They carry out the patrol in the car and
observers the period of duty is one a total of 296 people providing full then the car gets damaged because of
year, so we have to provide everything support for the mission. the difficult terrain in which they ope-
they need. For this purpose we have rate. So there is also somebody to repair
several sections covering: operations We provide all kinds of support for the the car. When all that's done and they
-- that's the technical section; aviation; team sites -- nine in total, plus two other have completed their job as military
communication; property management. sites. Smara is not a difficult team site observers, they need to go and see their

12 International