Vietnam to send military doctors to South Sudan for first time as UN peacekeepers

The decision was officiated in a memorandum between Head of the Permanent Delegation of Vietnam to the U.N. Dang Dinh Quy and U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Field Support Atul Khare at the U.N. headquarters in New York City, U.S., Wednesday, according to a statement on the Vietnamese government news portal.

Most of the 63 doctors were from the HCMC-based Military Hospital 175, and they will take over a U.N. field hospital belonging to the U.K. in South Sudan.

This will be the first time Vietnam deploys its military doctors as part of the U.N. peacekeeping forces.

The see-off ceremony is expected to commence on October 1 at Tan Son Nhat Airport in Ho Chi Minh City.

Vietnam has widened its presence in the U.N. Peacekeeping Forces to fill in more positions and attend more operations in Africa. As of June, 20 Vietnamese officers are participating in U.N. peacekeeping operations in Central Africa and South Sudan.

The country is also actively campaigning to be elected a non-permanent member of the U.N. Security Council for the 2020-2021 term.

Asia-Pacific nations in May had agreed to nominate Vietnam to this position. Vietnam will join the vote in June next year.

If elected, it will be the second time Vietnam holds such a position after the 2008-2009 term.