Cambodia Deploys 184 Peacekeepers to Central Africa Amidst 20 Years of UN Mission Participation

Cambodia has deployed 184 engineering troops, including approximately 30 women (15 percent), to the Central African Republic for a peacekeeping mission under the United Nations umbrella. This deployment coincides with Cambodia's celebration of 20 years of active participation in global peacekeeping operations. The engineering contingent, the 864th Battalion, has undergone health checks and received specialized training before their assignment. This follows the successful completion of a mission by the 486th Multi-skill Engineering Battalion, comprising 184 soldiers (including 17 women), who carried out important humanitarian activities such as demining, clearing unexploded ordnance, and constructing infrastructure for the local population in Central Africa. Their achievements have garnered significant praise from the international community. The send-off ceremony took place on the night of September 8, 2026, at Techo International Airport, presided over by Major General Sem Rotana, First Vice Chairman of the National Committee and Acting Director General of the National Center for Peacekeeping Forces. Major General Rotana conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Hun Manet and his wife, as well as from Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense General Tea Seiha, to the troops and their families. He particularly urged the personnel to foster unity and cooperation with their comrades. Major General Rotana further advised the Cambodian "Blue Helmets" to adhere to discipline, order, and patience, and to perform their duties effectively to enhance the nation's honor and prestige on the international stage, in line with the government's policy of contributing to global peace. Over the past two decades, since the initiative under former Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen and continuing under the new government led by Prime Minister Hun Manet, Cambodia has dispatched a total of 10,726 personnel (1,052 women) to UN peacekeeping missions in 10 countries: Sudan, South Sudan, Chad, Central Africa, Lebanon, Mali, Syria, Cyprus, Yemen, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Currently, 473 Cambodian personnel are deployed in four countries: South Sudan, Lebanon, Central Africa, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.