Phnom Penh: A total of 98 Cambodian peacekeepers, including 14 women, of the Unexploded Ordnance Disposal Unit 98, left here on the afternoon of Feb. 23 for the Central African Republic to replace their counterparts who arrived home on the same day, after fulfilling their UN mission.

According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, the send-off ceremony was held at Phnom Penh International Airport under the presidency of H.E. Major General Sem Ratana, First Vice President of the National Committee and Acting Director General of the National Centre for Peacekeeping Forces, Mine, and ERW Clearance (NPMEC).

The 98 Cambodian Blue Helmet troops will become members of the UN family for the common cause of peace and humanity, sacrificing themselves to save other peoples and nations and sharing experiences with conflict-affected countries, H.E. Major General Sem Ratana said on the occasion.

The deployment of Cambodian peacekeepers to carry out a humanitarian mission to the Central African Republic confirms Cambodia’s determination to uphold the spirit of the UN Charter and its shared values in the pursuit of peace and a better future for humanity.

Since 2006, Cambodia has sent 9,824 peacekeepers, including 857 women, to join peacekeeping missions under the UN umbrella in Sudan, South Sudan, Lebanon, Syria, Cyprus, Yemen, Chad, Mali, the Central African Republic, and Congo.