Seven more Vietnam military officers to join UN peacekeeping forces

Lieutenant Colonel Luong Truong Vinh and Major Trinh Van Cuong will work as military observers in South Sudan, the Ministry of National Defense said Friday.

Five other officers will be deputed to the Central African Republic. Lieutenant Colonel Hoang Trung Kien will be combat advisor, Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Thi Lien, the only female officer in the latest deputation, will be training advisor, Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Duc Thang will work as intelligence analysis advisor, Captain Le Hong Quan as equipment advisor and Captain Tran Thanh Son as a military observer.

"All of them are well-trained and well-prepared to respond to the conditions in the two African countries," said Major General Hoang Kim Phung, head of the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations.

Four of the officers have served in previous U.N. missions. They will leave Vietnam for their mission late this month and early next month.

Lieutenant Colonel Vinh said the mission is a great responsibility and a big opportunity for each of them to practice, gain knowledge and experience so that they can apply for higher positions in U.N. missions.

Since 2014, Vietnam has deployed 100 officers for U.N. peacekeeping missions in South Sudan and the Central African Republic on 29 occasions.

In October last year, for the first time ever, it sent a team of military doctors to work at the U.N. field hospital in South Sudan. The second such team will leave for South Sudan this October.