Sen. Lt. Gen. Phung Si Tan (centre), Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army, hands over the depoyment decisions to four new peacekeepers (left) and congratulate the ones who have finished their duties at an event on December 16. (Photo: VNA) The four officers will replace the Vietnamesepeacekeepers currently working at the UN mission.
To gear up for new duties, theVietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations has held UN staff officer,military observer, and pre-deployment training courses. Some officers havealso been sent to overseas training courses.
Maj. Gen. Hoang Kim Phung, Directorof the department under the Ministry of National Defence, said there arecertain advantages and difficulties in the deployment of four officers to themission in the Central African Republic this time.
Among the advantages, the personnel deploymentto UN peacekeeping operations has received attention from leaders of theDefence Ministry, the General Staff, and the General Department of Politics,along with coordination from relevant agencies. The Vietnamese personnel atpeacekeeping missions, including the one in the Central African Republic, havebeen making good impressions in the eyes of mission commanders and internationalcolleagues.
Besides, the Vietnamese officers who areworking at the mission in the Central African Republic will also giveassistance to the newcomers. One of the newly assigned peacekeepers also usedto perform duties at another mission, and he will share experience with hiscomrades, the official went on.
However, he added there are latentsecurity and safety risks in the African country. In addition, harsh weatherconditions and dangerous diseases like malaria, cholera, and Ebola in the areathe mission is based in are also considerable challenges to Vietnameseofficers.
Despite difficulties, the PartyCommittee and Command of the Peacekeeping Operations Department believe thatthanks to directions from leaders, assistance from agencies and units, andespecially their resolve, strong efforts, and knowledge, the officers will fulfill tasks assigned by the Party, the army, and the UN,Phung said.
So far, the Defence Ministry has sent516 personnel to UN peacekeeping operations at three missions and the UNheadquarters.
According to the missions and UNagencies, the officers from Vietnam have exerted efforts to perform duties andshown their professionalism, discipline, creativity, and boldness, leaving goodimpression on mission leaders, military forces’ commanders, internationalcolleagues, as well as people of host countries./.
VNA
