Islam Times - Cambodia Sends 355 Peacekeepers Abroad

Islam Times - Cambodia on Wednesday dispatched new batches of 355 peacekeepers, including 86 women, to join United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operations in South Sudan, the Central African Republic (CAR) and Lebanon, officials said.

Major General Sem Ratana, acting director-general of the National Center for Peacekeeping Forces, said the blue helmets would replace the forces from the previous batches whose one-year missions had come to an end.

He said that 73 military police personnel would carry out their duties at the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, 98 explosive ordnance disposal personnel at the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the CAR, and 184 multi-role engineering staff members at the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.

Speaking at the send-off ceremony in Phnom Penh, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Gen. Tea Seiha said the peacekeepers would work on mine clearance and explosive ordnance disposal, road and bridge engineering, and other humanitarian activities.

"The departure of our peacekeepers for South Sudan, Central African Republic and Lebanon clearly show the UN's confidence in our continuous contributions to promoting peace, security and stability in war-torn countries," he said, Xinhua reported.

The Southeast Asian nation first sent troops overseas on the UN peacekeeping missions in 2006. So far, the country has dispatched a total of 9,826 peacekeepers, including 857 women, to join UN peacekeeping missions in 10 countries, according to Sem Ratana.

He added that currently, the Cambodian peacekeepers have been serving in UN peacekeeping operations in four countries, namely South Sudan, Lebanon, the CAR and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.