Phnom Penh: Cambodia on Tuesday dispatched a new batch of 98 peacekeepers, including 10 women, to join a UN peacekeeping operation in the war-torn Central African Republic (CAR), officials said.
Speaking at the send-off ceremony in Phnom Penh, Gen. Sem Sovanny, director-general of the National Centre for Peacekeeping Forces, said the troops would replace the eighth group’s forces, who had completed a one-year mission in CAR, reports Xinhua news agency.
“The departure of our troops for the Central African Republic today truly reflects the UN’s confidence in our continuous contributions to maintaining peace and stability in conflict-torn countries,” he said.
Sovanny said the peacekeepers would work on mine clearance and explosive ordnance disposal.
The Southeast Asian nation first sent troops overseas on UN peacekeeping missions in 2006.
So far, the country has dispatched a total of 8,859 peacekeepers, including 681 women, to join the missions in Sudan, South Sudan, the CAR, Chad, Syria, Lebanon, Mali, Cyprus and Yemen.
“Currently, our 788 peacekeepers, including 130 women, have been serving in UN peacekeeping operations in four countries, namely South Sudan, Lebanon, CAR and Mali,” Sovanny said.
Joseph Scheuer, UN resident coordinator to Cambodia, commended the peacekeepers for their courage and dedication to serving in UN peacekeeping operations supporting global peace and security.
Scheuer said Cambodia, once a beneficiary of UN support and the assistance of peacekeepers, has transformed to become one of the top blue helmet contributors in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
“In countries across the globe, UN mine-action personnel, including Cambodian deminers, have not only saved countless lives, but also transformed danger zones littered with landmines and explosive remnants of war, such as cluster munitions, into areas that now can be used for schools, hospitals and farms,” he said.
–IANS