Top-ranking General Birame Diop, the UN Military Advisor, and a UN delegation recently visited and worked with the Vietnam Engineering Team at the UNISFA (UN Interim Security Force for Abyei) Mission.

Colonel Nguyen Viet Hung, Commander of the Vietnam Peacekeeping Force at the UNISFA Mission, Captain of the Vietnam Engineer Team, introduced the staff and the functions and tasks the team has been implementing since they arrived in Abyei.

Many activities of the team have been praised by the mission, such as building classrooms, repairing tables and chairs, teaching, showing movies to children, fighting floods, building boats, guiding local to do farming, and giving free medical examinations and treatment. 

The top-ranking General expressed his pleasure and acknowledged the efforts of the Vietnam Engineer Team in carrying out their tasks, which have been beyond the UN's expectations.

Facing difficulties caused under unfavorable weather conditions as well as lack of facilities, the Vietnamese engineer team has turned Highway, a once shabby base just used to store materials, into one of the most spacious bases. 

He was impressed with the things the team has implemented, such as improving the road system, ensuring smooth traffic, supporting the local government and people to fight floods, developing agriculture and renovating schools. The contributions of the Vietnam Army Corps of Engineers have created sympathy towards local people.

“The connection with local people is the key to success,” he said. “Humanitarian operations have strengthened the confidence of Abyei people in the entire UN peacekeeping force at the UNISFA Mission,” he said.

In the immediate time, the Vietnam Army Corps of Engineers needs to continue to upgrade important roads and open as many new patrol routes as possible. In addition, they will start the construction of a smart camp for military units of countries stationed in the area of the mission.

General Birame Diop praised Vietnam’s success in organizing the peacekeeping force with a high percentage of female officers and their efforts to implement tasks. In general, the missions from other countries have few or none female officers.

The actions of showing movies to children, repairing tables and chairs, building classrooms and cooperating with local authorities to carry out humanitarian campaigns have also been praised. 

The UN Military Advisor took photos with the Vietnamese officers and visited the Highway base campus of the Vietnam Engineer Team.

Tran Thuong