More than 70 Cambodian troops to join UN mission in S. Sudan
August 3, 2019 (JUBA) – Over 70 Cambodian troops are set to leave the country on Monday to join a United Nations peacekeeping mission in South Sudan.
“Military police officers, including 11 women, will leave to join a UN peacekeeping mission in South Sundan,” said General Sem Sovanny, the director-general of the National Centre for Peacekeeping Forces in Cambodia.
He said all the officers received training to carry out the UN mission’s requirements.
Cambodia, according to Gen. Sovanny, has already sent thousands of the blue helmets for various UN missions in eight countries since more than a decade ago.
“Since 2006 until now, 6,278 personnel, including 315 women, were sent to join UN peacekeeping missions in eight countries,” he remarked.
Gen Sovanny observed that Cambodia was ranked 26th out of 122 countries which have contributed the biggest number of personnel to UN peacekeeping missions.
“For the past 13 years, Cambodian peacekeepers have served missions professionally and without blemish, including not being involved in violence or sex crimes,” he said.
“Cambodia continues to prepare blue helmets for demining, engineering, and policing tasks in UN missions,” he further added.
Pol Saroeun, Cambodian minister, said its government is committed to cooperating with the UN on peacekeeping operations and intend to make sure that the country’s blue helmets are well trained to carry out their missions.
(ST)