Cambodian troops attend a farewell ceremony in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on March 17, 2017. Cambodia will send the fourth batch of its peacekeepers to the war-torn West African nation of Mali next month to replace the third team whose one-year mission comes to an end, officials said on Friday. (Xinhua/Sovannara)
PHNOM PENH, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia will send the fourth batch of its peacekeepers to the war-torn West African nation of Mali next month to replace the third team whose one-year mission comes to an end, officials said on Friday.
Gen. Sem Sovanny, director-general of the Cambodian National Center for Peacekeeping Force, said that some 80 of the 309 soldiers will depart for Mali on Friday evening in order to manage tasks in advance, and the rest of them will leave on April 28.
He said the peacekeepers are divided into two groups. One will be responsible for airport repairs and maintenance and the other in charge of explosive ordnance disposal.
Since 2006, the Southeast Asian nation has dispatched 4,180 troops to join the United Nations peacekeeping missions in eight countries, namely Sudan, South Sudan, Chad, Central African Republic, Lebanon, Mali and Cyprus.
Speaking during a farewell ceremony here, Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn advised them to be extra-vigilant since Mali continued to be at high risk for terrorist attacks and armed conflicts.
"Among our missions in eight countries, Mali is the most dangerous country," he said.
