Cambodia to send 42 peacekeeping forces to Central African Republic and Chad: officials

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia will dispatch 42 peacekeeping forces to Central African Republic and Chad under the peacekeeping mission of the United Nations, the local media said on Sunday.

"Our forces will depart for these countries in November after Prime Minister agreed to send our soldiers," DAP News quoted Nhim Savat, director general for general department of politics and international relations of Ministry of National Defense, as saying.

"And in earlier mid-2010, we will send other 80 armed forces of light engineering Unit for the two countries under the U.N. peacekeeping mission," he added.

Cambodia and the U.N. have already signed on MOU of deploying the peacekeeping armed forces in Chad and Central African Republic," he said.

"The UN side will not send their monitors to train our armed forces for this time after they have confidence in the abilities and capacities of forces training and our experiences in previous times," said Sem Sovanny, director general of the national center for peacekeeping forces management, mine clearance, unexploded ordnance waste of post war.

"Five senior military officials from National Defense Ministry will also accompany our Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) to these countries," Sem said.

Cambodia is used to take part in joint military exercises in several countries, such as Indonesia, Mongolia, Bangladesh, and also Sudan's de-mining activities under the U.N. peacekeeping mission.

Cambodia will also host the military exercise which is to be supported by the United States under a program titled "Global Peace Operations Initiative or GPOI" which will take place in June or July in 2010.