BEIJING, Jan. 29 -- Recently, the 10th Chinese peacekeeping defense unit to Mali received new-type mine-resistant ambush-protected (MRAP) vehicles in the mission area of Gao, marking the first deployment of the MRAP vehicles to China's overseas peacekeeping force.
The MRAP vehicle has been modified to meet the task needs in the mission area, with defense, communication, electromagnetic interference and observation functions upgraded. It can well respond to improvised explosives devices (IEDs) and comprehensively improve the patrol and defense capabilities of the contingent.
According to Xie Wanglin, head of the unit's rapid response squadron, roadside bomb attacks have caused most casualties to the peacekeepers under the continuously deteriorating security situation in the mission area. "The deployment of the new-type MRAP vehicles will facilitate our mission performance and guarantee our safety to a larger extent," he said.
China has deployed the guard contingent to the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) for a decade since 2013, which was reorganized into the base defense unit in 2022. After the distribution of the MRAP vehicles, the unit will possess better maneuverability and defense capability, so as to carry out peacekeeping missions more efficiently.