Cambodia has dispatched 22 units of multipurpose transport and heavy equipment, including mine-protected vehicles (MPVs), to the Central African Republic (CAR) for the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the CAR (MINUSCA), following a request from the UN.

The departure ceremony took place on September 25 at the Peacekeeping Forces Training Centre in Kampong Speu’s Phnom Sruoch district, according to the National Centre for Peacekeeping Forces (NPMEC).

NPMEC director-general Sem Sovanny stated that the equipment was loaded onto trucks and transported to Sihanoukville Autonomous Port (PAS) before being shipped to CAR in early October.

He said the shipment includes MPVs, fuel and water trucks, excavators, graders, bulldozers and other equipment. He added that they are expected to arrive in CAR within 90 days of departure.

In June 2023, Cambodia sent 14 MPVs to Mali for another UN mission.

Since 2006, the country has deployed 9,819 peacekeepers, including 856 women, to 10 countries. Currently, 627 Cambodian peacekeepers are serving in Abyei, the special administration zone between Sudan and South Sudan, as well as South Sudan itself, the CAR, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Lebanon.

Yang Peou, secretary-general of the Royal Academy of Cambodia, highlighted that peace is the foundation of all progress, which is why the country contributes to UN peacekeeping missions whenever possible.

"Because Cambodia has suffered from conflicts driven by superpower rivalries and years of civil war, and with the involvement of the UN in finding solutions and assistance from other countries, Cambodia has been able to achieve peace. Therefore, it is our duty to participate in UN peacekeeping missions to help maintain peace around the world,” he said.