At least 2,250 members of the armed forces are all set to fly off for UN peacekeeping missions in Africa. Of them, 850 personnel will go to South Sudan and the rest will be deployed in Mali, an officer in the Overseas Director of Army Headquarters said on condition of anonymity. The UN has sought an infantry battalion, a military hospital unit, a military cargo aircraft and military helicopter from the Bangladesh Army for the peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, the officer told The Independent. “We have already prepared the manpower, equipment and the aircraft. We will send them getting the departure date and chartered aircraft from the UN,” he said, adding: “At present, there is only one engineering contingent of Bangladesh Army in South Sudan.”
The official also informed that various military equipment and stores for the Bangladeshi peacekeepers in Mali will be shipped by sea within January. He said Bangladeshi peacekeepers in South Sudan have been very successful in their missions for the past seven years. “And that is why the UN has sought Bangladeshi personnel as the local militia groups are creating quite a trouble in the African country,” he added.
The situation in South Sudan has deteriorated in the past few days, with thousands killed since the crisis began 10 days ago. Recently, two Indian peacekeepers were killed when about 2,000 rebels had ambushed their temporary base in Jonglei state in the world’s newest country.
The central African country, which became independent from Sudan less than three years ago, now stands on the brink of a full blown civil conflict. The country is a major producer of oil and the violence has caused production to fall by thousands of barrels per day. This is why the UN has moved to double its peacekeeping forces to 12,500 troops in a desperate bid to avert a civil war there.
On December 24, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon had requested Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to send another battalion of troops for its peacekeeping missions in South Sudan.
Besides, more than 12,000 UN troops are now operational in Mali. They face several challenges, including the threat of attacks by rebels and significant logistical problems. At present, there are some Bangladeshi observers in the country.
Bangladeshi peacekeepers have always been highly praised in UN missions for their sense of duty. At present, there are over 6,000 Bangladeshi peacekeepers in eight UN missions. A total 112,776 peacekeepers from 116 countries are currently working in the UN’s 16 missions in four continents.
-With The Independent input
