Located 35 kilometers south of Abyei area from the Highway base, where the Vietnamese Army Corps of Engineers is stationed, Rumamier has many insecurity problems.

Surveys by the Vietnam Army Corps of Engineers show an area with many large natural ponds and lakes, which, in the dry season, is the main supply source of water for people and cattle.

The survey team found deserted villages in a place considered the origin of life. Hundreds of houses were covered by dust and household items such as baskets, buckets and basins were in disorder on the ground.

In late February, armed robberies and attacks and murders due to ethnic conflicts caused people to panic. Many families left for the north together with their herds of cattle.

Previously, this was the temporary station of a Ghanaian unit. However, it can be used only in the dry season, because the barracks flood in the rainy season.

To ensure security and safety for Rumamier, UNISFA (The United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei) has requested an increased military presence and the presence of a force with 55 officers. 

Meanwhile, the Vietnamese Army Corps of Engineers will build a permanent base for the Ghana’s unit.

According to Colonel Nguyen Viet Hung, Captain of the Engineering Team, they need to upgrade the infrastructure of land bed. This ensures effective implementation of subsequent tasks such as building a helipad and barracks. 

Second, it is necessary to join forces with the unit to ensure safety of officers of the team when implementing tasks far from the base.

Under the scorching sun, the Vietnamese Army Corps of Engineers have installed tents and facilities to ensure the best possible accommodations needed to deploy the task far from their base.

This is considered one of the mission's key projects. The construction of the entire permanent barracks system will last 45 days. The Engineering Team has set a target to complete the project by early May, and put into use before the rainy season begins.

Earlier this year, the Vietnamese Army Corps of Engineers built a barracks for a Nepalese unit at the UNISFA Mission headquarters. It is expected that in the second half of 2024, the team will begin building a barracks for a Chinese quick response unit.

Tran Thuong