Phnom Penh: On December 13, 2022, 73 Cambodian Blue Hat troops were sent to carry out United Nations Peacekeeping Operations in South Sudan, replacing 73 Blue Hat troops who returned home on December 12, 2022.
Vice Chairman of the National Committee and Director General of the National Centre for Peacekeeping Force, Mines, and ERW Clearance, General Sem Sovanny, and other Cambodian Blue Hat troops bid farewell to the 73 Blue Hat troops leaving for South Sudan to continue the mission in place of the Blue Hat troops, who have completed their one-year mission.
General Sem Sovanny stated that the deployment of Blue Hat troops to South Sudan is currently in its 11th year, and Cambodia has acquired the trust of the United Nations to contribute to the quest for peace for the countries affected by conflict.
The Chief of the Cambodian Blue Hat Army reminded the troops who were deployed to carry out Peacekeeping Operations in countries suffering from war to maintain unity as a whole, according DPM Prak Sokhon, "Unity leads to life; division leads to death."
He advised the troops to prioritize safety, especially when executing jobs, to not underestimate any scenario, to learn from experience and positive lessons, and to fix mistakes that had occurred in order to achieve success for the country.
General Sem Sovanny stated that the more than 70 Blue Hat troops who returned home to Cambodia are bringing honor to the country by maintaining a clean reputation free of violence and human trafficking.
"The success of the United Nations Military Police 739 in South Sudan is due to the fact that it received technical training in accordance with UN standards prior to its mission and has maintained security at the behest of DPM Tea Banh, Minister of National Defense."
Since 2006, Cambodia has sent 8,475 peacekeeper troops to the United Nations, based in nine countries, including Sudan, South Sudan, Chad, Lebanon, Syria, Mali, Central Africa, Cyprus, and Yemen.
Currently, Cambodia has more than 800 Blue Hat troops on peacekeeping operations under the United Nations, including in South Sudan, Mali, Lebanon, and the Central African Republic.