Cambodia sends 3rd batch of troops to war-torn Mali

Cambodia dispatched on Wednesday the third batch of troops to join a United Nations peacekeeping mission in the conflict-torn West African nation of Mali, a senior military official said.
The 309-member group would replace the second team, whose one-year term had come to an end, said Gen. Sem Sovanny, director-general of the Cambodian National Center for Peacekeeping Force, adding that they would work on airport repairs and explosive ordnance disposal.
“Your mission represents Cambodia, so you all must strictly comply with the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces’ code of conduct, Mali’s laws and international laws,” he said during the sending-off ceremony at the Phnom Penh International Airport.
He also advised them to respect tradition, custom, religion and dignity of the people in Mali.
According to Gen. Sovanny, since 2006, Cambodia has sent 3,557 troops to join the UN peacekeeping missions in eight countries, namely Sudan, South Sudan, Chad, Central African Republic, Lebanon, Mali, Syria, and Cyprus.
Currently, some 895 of them are still on their duties in Sudan, South Sudan, Lebanon, Mali, and Central African Republic, he added.