Four military officers are going to take part in United Nations (UN) peacekeeping missions in the Central African Republic, South Sudan and Abyei area, bringing the total number of Vietnamese officers engaged in such missions so far to over 790, the Ministry of National Defense reported. 

These four officers received the decisions issued by Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong to join UN missions at a ceremony held by the ministry in Hanoi on Thursday. 

Among them, Lieutenant Colonel Ly Thanh Tam, from the Vietnam Peacekeeping Department, will take on the position of commander of the Vietnam peacekeeping force cum head of the working group at the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

Major Luc Thai Ha, from the Coast Guard Command, will act as an intelligence analysis officer at the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA).

Captain Vu Quang Khai, also from the Coast Guard Command, and Captain Nguyen Tien Thanh, a naval officer, will jointly serve as military observers at the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) Mission.

The Abyei area, covering about 10,000 square kilometers, is a disputed region between Sudan and South Sudan.

All four officers have received a letter of approval from the UN and are ready to be deployed to the aforementioned missions for their assigned tasks in the coming time, the ministry said. 

This is the first deployment of the Vietnam People’s Army forces to participate in UN peacekeeping operations this year, said Deputy Minister of National Defense Sen. Lieut. Gen Hoang Xuan Chien, who is also head of the ministry’s steering board of Vietnam’s UN peacekeeping operations, at the ceremony.

The official asked the four officers to make good preparations for their trips, try their best to successfully accomplish all assigned tasks, and closely coordinate with local forces. 

After 10 years of engaging in UN peacekeeping activities, Vietnam has sent 792 professional officers and soldiers to join UN peacekeeping missions as individuals and units, and all of them have fulfilled their assigned duties and responsibilities. 

Of the total 83 officers returning home after their terms of office, 25 were awarded certificates of merit by the UN for successfully completing their duties, according to the ministry.

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