Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam’s Engineering Unit Rotation 4 departed Hanoi on September 26 for the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA).
The unit comprises 184 officers and staff drawn from various forces, including the Air Defence – Air Force Service, the Navy, Military Regions 1, 2, 3, and 4, Army Corps 12, the Engineer, Commando and Signal Corps, the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations (VDPO), and several other agencies and units.
They undertook training, including engineering courses at the Engineer Corps, and English-language training for key personnel. Other courses included communications, medical support, logistics, technical work, and force protection ahead of their deployment to UNISFA. The VDPO also organised joint rehearsals to align the team’s readiness with the realities of the mission area and lessons learned from Engineering Unit Rotation 3.
To further enhance international peacekeeping expertise, the department coordinated with partner countries to provide advanced training for unit members. The programme covered international humanitarian law, prevention of sexual violence, explosive ordnance recognition, and specialised engineering knowledge. The training ensures the team is fully prepared to carry out tasks such as infrastructure construction, field work, and humanitarian support at UNISFA, while meeting the UN’s requirements in line with assigned functions and duties.
Speaking at the send-off ceremony, Maj. Gen. Pham Manh Thang, Director of the VDPO, said in recent years the department has closely coordinated with relevant agencies and units to select, train, and deploy forces. It has also managed and directed all Vietnamese military personnel engaged in UN peacekeeping missions, ensuring they consistently fulfill their tasks with distinction.
The members of Engineering Unit Rotation 4 were carefully selected from across the army for their strong political commitment. They were thoroughly briefed on the regulations of the UN and the mission, the host country’s laws, as well as the laws of Vietnam and the discipline of the Vietnam People’s Army, he said.
Building on more than 11 years of Vietnam’s participation in peacekeeping activities, Thang expressed his hope that Vietnamese peacekeeping force, and Engineering Unit Rotation 4 in particular, will remain steadfast, united and determined to overcome challenges, fulfill all assigned tasks, and continue to embody the qualities of Uncle Ho’s soldiers while promoting the image of the Vietnam People’s Army among international friends./.
