Cambodia picks up 138 troops for UN missions in Chad, Central Africa

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia here on Tuesday declared the list of 138 troops, who will undertake UN peacekeeping missions in Chad and Central Africa, but their departure date has not been set yet.

The Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) held a ceremony at the headquarters of its special armed forces in the outskirts of Phnom Penh to highlight the honor.

In late March, Prime Minister Hun Sen told a university graduation ceremony that Cambodia will send its soldiers as UN peace keepers to these two countries according to the request of the UN Secretary General.

"We already sent three groups of soldiers for mine clearance in Sudan under the UN peacekeeping umbrella," he said.

In 2006, Cambodia sent 135 deminers to Sudan for UN peacekeeping mission, and then 139 in June 2007 to replace the old ones. The deminers were renewed again in 2008.