(Kandal): Cambodia has deployed 48 peacekeepers, including 24 female soldiers, to serve in a United Nations (UN) peacekeeping mission in the Republic of South Sudan.

The deployment comes as 73 Cambodian peacekeepers, including 34 women from Unit 872, returned home after completing their one-year mission in the country.

The send-off ceremony was held on 12 March 2026 at Techo International Airport and presided over by Lieutenant General Sem Ratana, First Vice Chairman of the National Committee and Acting Director General of the National Centre for Peacekeeping Forces.

During the ceremony, Lt. Gen. Sem Ratana conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Hun Manet, First Lady Pich Chanmony, Defence Minister Tea Seiha, and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn to the peacekeepers and their families.

He welcomed the returning 73 peacekeepers and praised them for successfully completing their mission and safely returning home. Meanwhile, the 48 members of Unit 874 will depart for South Sudan to join the UN peacekeeping mission.

On the occasion, Lt. Gen. Sem Ratana also encouraged the troops to maintain unity and solidarity with fellow peacekeepers and strengthen cooperation throughout their mission.

He expressed appreciation to the ministries and institutions involved in supporting the mission, particularly the Ministry of Health, which conducted malaria testing for the returning peacekeepers.
=FRESH NEWS