At the meeting with the Vietnamese peacekeepers at UNISFA, the mission was briefed on their task performance over the past time. According to a report delivered by Commanding Officer of the Vietnamese peacekeeping force at UNISFA Senior Colonel Nguyen Viet Hung, since its deployment, the Engineering Company Rotation 2 has undertaken and completed 188 tasks assigned by the U.N. and three others related to the construction of smart camps.
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Sr. Col. Nguyen Viet Hung greeting Lt. Gen. Pham Truong Son and the delegation |
During the rainy season, together with rescuing and recovering other units’ vehicles and equipment, the unit has actively repaired roads and carried out maintenance and repairs at the base’s heliport. In the dry season, the unit has opened new patrol routes in various sub-regions (currently six routes totaling approximately 250km are being simultaneously built), cleared bushes at the new Abyei market, and sprayed the airport with water to ensure the safety of more than 500 sorties of helicopter taking off and landing in Abyei.
In addition to their regular and unscheduled tasks, the Engineering Company Rotation 2 has also conducted various activities to enhance local people’s material and spiritual life. Notably, the unit has equipped locals with cultivation and harvesting techniques and organized cartoon screenings every Friday morning at the Abyei church for local children, upgraded or repaired schools, and provided clean water for people in Abyei’s neighboring areas during the dry season.
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Lt. Gen. Pham Truong Son talks with members of the Engineering Company Rotation 2. |
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The working mission and members of the Engineering Company Rotation 2 in a joint photo |
The Vietnamese peacekeepers have also held seminars and exchanges with the local authorities and community to seek solutions to arising issues in the area. The Level 1 Field Hospital of the Engineering Company Rotation 2 has provided free health consultations and medical check-ups and treatment for over 1,240 patients. The efforts of the Vietnamese peacekeepers have been highly appreciated by the mission, local authorities, and local population.
At the meeting, Lt. Gen. Pham Truong Son, on behalf of leaders of the Ministry of National Defense and the inter-sectoral working group for Vietnam’s participation in U.N. peacekeeping operations, praised and highly appreciated the efforts of the Vietnamese peacekeeping force in UNISFA.
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Lt. Gen. Pham Truong Son meets with the Engineering Company Rotation 2’s personnel. |
The head of the mission asked the Vietnamese peacekeeping force at UNISFA in general and the Engineering Company Rotation 2 in particular to strictly adhere to the mission’s regulations on security, safety and military discipline; focus on building strong unity within the unit and support each other during task implementation; pro-actively coordinate with the mission's relevant agencies and units; court the support of international colleagues; effectively carry out mass mobilization activities; build good relations with local authorities and residents.
Earlier the same day, the mission was welcomed by Brigadier General Ameer Muhammad Umrani, Acting Head of Mission and Force Commander of UNISFA, at the airport. During the event, Brigadier General Ameer Muhammad Umrani highly praised the activities of the Vietnamese peacekeeping force in Abyei, saying that their efforts have greatly contributed to UNISFA’s task accomplishment and the improvement of the local population's life.
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The mission visits the Engineering Company Rotation 2’s barracks. |
Within the framework of the visit from June 9 to 13, the Vietnamese mission will conduct inspections and evaluate the task performance of the Vietnamese peacekeeping force and the Engineering Company Rotation 2 since their deployment. The findings would serve as a basis for further improvement of the command, direction, and management of Vietnam's participation in U.N. peacekeeping operations. The delegation will work with the leadership of the UNISFA to exchange information related to the task performance of the Vietnamese force and explore the potential for future deployments. The Vietnamese delegates will also visit units from other countries at UNISFA mission to learn from their experience in preparing and deploying forces for peacekeeping operations. Additionally, the delegation will meet with and visit local people and authorities in Abyei area to strengthen the bond between local people of the host country and the Vietnamese peacekeeping force in particular.
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Brigadier General Ameer Muhammad Umrani welcomes Lt. Gen. Pham Truong Son at the airport. |
Covering an area of over 10,000 square kilometers, Abyei has been a disputed region between Sudan and South Sudan since South Sudan's independence in 2011, forcing the U.N. to intervene. Since the beginning of 2022, the Vietnamese People’s Army has sent peacekeeping forces to Abyei, demonstrating Vietnam's foreign policy of self-reliance, peace, cooperation, and development. Vietnam aims to be a responsible and reliable partner in the international community.
Reported by Ngoc Hung (from Highway Base, UNISFA)
Translated by Tran Hoai