Fijian dies in Afganistan
Posted by FJREP under News Articles on May 7th, 2008.The mother of a British Army soldier is still coming to terms with the death of her eldest son in Afghanistan last Friday.
Trooper Ratu Sakiasi Selamu Babakobau, 29, is the first Fijian soldier to die in Afghanistan.
He was in his first month of duty.
Bulou Merekuri Ravuya, 51, was in tears as she told of the last time she spoke with her son.
“He was always encouraging me and telling me to carry on looking after his siblings despite the difficulties we face at home,” she said.
Trooper Babakobau has four sisters and a brother, all of whom live with their mother at Valelevu, Nasinu.
Ms Ravuya separated from her husband five years ago and Ratu Sakiasi was always supportive and close to his mother and siblings.
“When he left in 2004, he always sent us money at the end of the month, and he always encouraged me to move on and that one day we will be reunited with our dad,” she said.
“The last time we spoke was when he arrived in Afghanistan on April 7. I told him to take his Bible with him wherever he goes on duty,” Ms Ravuya said.
She said her son had planned to take her and his youngest sister, Latileta, to London in December.
“We had plans to visit each other and for them to move over to Australia but now all those plans will just be dreams,” she said.
Ratu Sakiasi is survived by his wife Camari, and two sons Ratu Seru, aged four, and Ratu Sakeasi Sucumailodoni Selamu, aged one.
The AFP news agency reported that Trooper Babakobau, from the Household Cavalry Regiment, was killed after the vehicle he was travelling in hit a mine during a routine patrol near southern Helmand province’s Naw Zad district on Friday.
“Three other British soldiers and one Afghan national were injured in the incident,” it said.
Trooper Babakobau was pronounced dead on arrival at Britain’s main Camp Bastion base.
This latest fatality takes the number of British personnel to die in Afghanistan since the start of operations to oust the country’s hardline former rulers the Taliban in 2001 to 95.
“It was the saddest day of my life,” his mother said.
http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=88261