Thailand will dispatch its fifth rotation of peacekeepers to join the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), as the UN Security Council grapples with mounting challenges in the world’s youngest nation.
General Songwit Noonpakdee, Chief of Defense Forces, presided over a ceremony on Thursday at the Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters to send off 273 personnel including 28 female soldiers.
This fifth rotation will replace the fourth contingent of Thai troops that has been serving in South Sudan since July 2023.
The Thai unit, known for its professionalism and application of Thailand’s Sufficiency Economy Philosophy, is set to depart in two groups on August 18 and September 6.
Their engineering expertise and commitment to sustainable development will be crucial in supporting UNMISS’s efforts.
This deployment comes at a critical time for South Sudan. On Wednesday, the UN Security Council met to consider the country’s political, economic, and humanitarian situation ahead of December elections.
Intercommunal violence continues to impact security, while over 76% of South Sudan’s population requires humanitarian assistance, according to UN figures. (TNA)
