By Ma Yichong and Zhang Kang
KHARTOUM,Nov.15 (ChinaMil) -- All 225 peacekeepers of the 14th Chinese peacekeeping engineer detachment to Darfur in Sudan were awarded the UN Peace Medals in a medal-awarding ceremony held on Thursday at a Chinese camp in El Fasher, Darfur, Sudan.
More than 300 people, including Mr. Jeremiah Mamabolo, Special Representative for the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), commanders of other troop-contributing countries and representatives of local overseas Chinese attended the medal-awarding ceremony on the morning of the same day.
During the ceremony, the UNAMID Welfare Officer read the order of commendation, “In view of the remarkable missions accomplished by the Chinese peacekeepers during the one-year period, the UNAMID decided to award the United Nations Peace Medals to the 225 peacekeepers of Chinese peacekeeping engineer detachment.”
Mr. Mamabolo said in the speech, “Over the past year, Chinese engineers have made great contributions to the peaceful construction and humanitarian assistance in Darfur. The UNAMID is proud of your outstanding performance.”
After the rotation deployment at the end of last December, the 14th Chinese peacekeeping engineer detachment to Darfur in Sudan has been deployed to several sites in three camps to perform long-term construction and support tasks. Chinese peacekeeping engineers have traveled throughout Darfur and completed many cross-theater operations.
According to Captain of Detachment Bi Xianbo, as of today, the detachment has successfully completed more than 200 engineering tasks, and carried out various humanitarian aids during the mission intervals, such as making donations to support refugees to access free education and offering them heartfelt condolences.
Chinese peacekeeping troops have won high praise from the UN Headquarters, the UNAMID, the government of Sudan and the local people, Captain of Detachment Bi Xianbo added.