The Vietnamese Engineering Team in Abyei (Africa) is urgently completing projects to celebrate the 49th anniversary of National Reunification Day (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2024) and the 70th anniversary of Dien Bien Phu Victory (May 7, 1954 - May 7, 2024). Recently, the Vietnamese Engineering Team welcomed an inspection delegation from the UNISFA Mission led by Mr. Robert Kirkwood, Head of Mission Support, to visit and inspect all the tasks the team is performing. He highly appreciated the results achieved, especially the construction of the Highway Smart Barracks, the base of the Vietnamese Engineering Team in Abyei.

The Vietnamese Engineering Team builds a permanent barracks in Rumamier. Photo: Engineering Team

Since arriving at the mission, Vietnam has contributed to changing the entire appearance of this base, turning Highway into one of the key projects of the United Nations, a project entirely constructed by a military engineering unit. The Highway barracks project is expected to be handed over on May 7, on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory. The handover ceremony of the Highway base is considered by the team as the most practical and proud achievement, a mark of the Vietnamese "blue beret" force in the Abyei region. Along with that, the Vietnamese Engineering Team is urgently completing projects outside the base such as: building a permanent barracks in Rumamier; building a smart barracks at Anthony base for the Ghana Infantry Battalion; renovating and renewing the dual-use military-civilian airport in Agok...

Vietnamese engineers lay drainage pipes at Agok airport. Photo: Engineer Team

In particular, the renovation and renewal of Agok airport is considered a key task of the mission. Agok airport is located more than 40km from the mission headquarters, in the southern subdivision, close to the South Sudan border - an extremely complicated area in terms of security and politics. As soon as receiving the mission, the Vietnam Engineering Team determined the importance of the project, because: this is a military and civilian airport put into use by the United Nations for the purpose of important air transport. Major Nguyen Dinh Viet, Head of the Construction Team (Engineering Team) said that due to severe degradation, the airport had not been used for a long time. Upon receiving the airport, the team conducted a survey and preliminary assessment. Due to terrain and weather conditions, the airport's surface had degraded; the access road was nearly 1m deep, making it difficult to move; the sewer and drainage system was ineffective. In just 3 days, with 9 soldiers directly participating in the construction, more than 9,000m2 of runway and drainage system were completed.

The Corps of Engineers donates necessities to African people. Photo: Corps of Engineers

“The biggest difficulty in carrying out the mission is the long distance, poor road quality, and high risk of insecurity and safety. Although the mission agencies did not set a time requirement, the unit tried to work without stopping to ensure safe and earliest flights,” Major Viet shared. In addition to professional tasks, the Vietnam Engineering Team also coordinated with local philanthropists to organize volunteer activities, contributing a small part to help improve the lives of the Abyei people. Major Nguyen Mau Vu, Political Commissar of the Engineering Team, informed that all volunteer activities were carried out by officers and employees of the Engineering Team with the most enthusiastic competitive spirit and the highest determination to respond to the peak emulation campaign “Following the Dien Bien soldiers - advancing to win the Third Prize” to celebrate the major holidays of the country and people.
Abyei is a disputed area between Sudan and South Sudan. In 2011, the two countries signed an agreement pledging to withdraw troops from the demilitarized zone in Abyei and establish a joint mechanism to resolve the issue. However, so far, the two countries have not made much substantive progress. UNISFA was established in 2011 under Resolution 1990 of the United Nations Security Council with the mission of protecting civilians and promoting demilitarization in Abyei. The 2nd Engineer Team has 203 members, including 19 women. The team departed for an international mission in Abyei from August 2023. To date, Vietnam has sent 799 officers and soldiers from the Army and Police to deploy individually and as units at 3 missions and the United Nations headquarters. 2024 marks the 10th anniversary of Vietnam deploying forces to participate in the United Nations peacekeeping mission.

Vietnamnet.vn

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/huong-ve-dien-bien-cong-binh-viet-nam-tai-chau-phi-tao-dau-an-tu-hao-nhat-2275976.html#