Three more military officers will join the United Nations (UN) peacekeeping missions in South Sudan and Abyei, bringing the total number of Vietnamese officers involved to nearly 1,100, the Ministry of National Defense reported.

The officers received State President To Lam's decision to join in the UN peacekeeping activities at a ceremony held by the ministry in Hanoi on Monday.

Among the selected officers, Captain Chu Tuan Linh will act as a military observer at the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), while Lieutenant Colonels Vu Thi Kim Oanh and Nguyen Van Thu will respectively serve as quartermaster and senior staff officer in-training at 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.

Captain Linh and the lieutenant colonels will replace their corresponding predecessors at the UNMISS and UNISFA.

Major General Pham Manh Thang, director of the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations, proudly stated at the ceremony that all three officers are outstanding and meet both the UN's and the ministry's standards and requirements.

Lieutenant Colonel Oanh previously worked as a military observer at UNMISS, while Lieutenant Colonel Thu once served as a staff officer for logistics at UNISFA.

Major General Thang confirmed that the three officers have received a letter of approval from the UN and are ready to be deployed to the aforementioned missions.

He also noted that the officers should be prepared for some challenges they may face in their coming missions, including unpredictable security risks, harsh weather and climate conditions, and dangerous epidemics, especially malaria, cholera, and Ebola.

At the ceremony, Deputy Defense Minister Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien, who also heads the ministry’s steering committee on UN peacekeeping operations, urged the officers to overcome difficulties and excel in their assigned duties, earning the trust and admiration of colleagues, authorities, and locals in their host communities.

On behalf of the three officers, Lieutenant Colonel Oanh promised they would maintain solidarity, effectively cooperate with colleagues, and stay determined to complete all tasks designated by the UN and the ministry.

According to the ministry, after a decade of engaging with UN peacekeeping activities, Vietnam has sent nearly 1,100 professional officers and soldiers to join missions as individuals and units, and all of them have fulfilled their assigned duties and responsibilities.

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