Peacekeepers of Level-2 Field Hospital Rotation 6 and Engineering Unit Rotation 3 headed to South Sudan and Abyei last year. VNA/VNS Photo Trọng Đức

Khánh Dương

More than 1,000 Vietnamese peacekeepers from the Ministry of National Defence and the Ministry of Public Security have served on missions in the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Abyei and at UN headquarters since 2014.

With national pride and a strong sense of personal honour, they have promoted the image of a peace-loving nation to international friends through both their professional work and humanitarian activities.

Lieutenant Colonel Lương Thị Trà Vinh, the first female police officer to join a UN peacekeeping mission, said she felt both honoured and entrusted with great responsibility when she accepted the assignment.

Alongside two male colleagues from the Ministry of Public Security, she began her mission in South Sudan in October 2022.

Lieutenant Colonel Lương Thị Trà Vinh (third from left) and other peacekeepers from the Ministry of National Defence and Ministry of Public Security in 2022. Photo courtesy of Vinh

The team impressed local authorities and residents not only with their effective performance of professional duties, but also through humanitarian work supporting local orphans and women in refugee camps.

“We distributed mats and mosquito nets during the rainy season to women in refugee camps who had suffered from domestic and sexual violence,” Vinh said.

“I told the women that although our gifts were small, they carried the heartfelt goodwill of the Vietnamese people and the Vietnamese police. They were like warm embraces of solidarity. We deeply empathise with them,” she said.

She also told them that Việt Nam, too, had endured years of war and hardship, but once the country was unified and at peace, it developed rapidly and Vietnamese people enjoyed the benefits of lasting peace.

“We hoped that, with the same spirit, the people of South Sudan would soon enjoy the fruits of peace,” Vinh told the women.

The Vietnamese team’s humanitarian activities have also inspired police forces from other countries serving in South Sudan.

“Such kindness helps spread the image of the Vietnam People’s Public Security force. When social and charitable activities for the community are carried out under the UN blue beret, they also enhance the image of UN officers in the eyes of the local populace,” Vinh said.

Lt Col Bùi Đức Thành, now deputy director of Military Hospital 175, still cherishes the affection he received from the people of South Sudan during his tenure.

During challenging days in the country, in addition to providing medical examinations and treatment, Thành and his teammates devoted time to assisting and caring for residents living around their base area.

Thành said the gifts they gave were simple, sometimes just a bundle of vegetables, a pumpkin, or a notebook and a pen for the children, but they were valued by the locals.

That was why, whenever the children saw soldiers wearing the red flag with a yellow star on their chests, they would excitedly call out “Việt Nam!”.

That was when he felt that his country was always in his heart, despite being far from home.

Field hospital

The Vietnamese peacekeeping force is best known for its deployment of the Level-2 Field Hospital in South Sudan.

Military doctors and nurses there have treated thousands of patients, including both UN personnel and residents. They have also successfully performed numerous complex emergency cases despite challenging medical conditions.

Major Lê Thị Bích Ngọc, a liaison officer assisting the Vietnamese Level-2 Field Hospital in Bentiu, said every task was an opportunity to spread the spirit, dedication and solidarity of the Vietnamese people.

“My most profound memory was visiting the Vietnamese Field Hospital in Bentiu when it was awarded the UN Medal. It was in extremely difficult living conditions with severely degraded facilities, unsafe water supply and inadequate fencing around the camp unable to prevent possible intrusions from local residents,” Ngọc said.

“Amid the overwhelming number of patients coming for treatment, I witnessed Vietnamese doctors and nurses working tirelessly, welcoming patients with smiles. They are a living testament to the strength, compassion and resilience of Vietnamese people abroad.”

Major Lê Thị Bích Ngọc and South Sudanese people. Photo courtesy of Ngọc

She and her colleagues always remind themselves that their image here represents Việt Nam.

“We are here for peace. I believe that peace is not only the absence of conflict, but also the way each person builds relationships based on compassion, trust and sharing,” she told Việt Nam News.

Lt Nguyễn Huyền Anh, a Vietnamese communications officer currently working at the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in the Central African Republic, embraced her role as a cultural ambassador, using the mission to showcase the image of Việt Nam and its people to the world.

"Working at the mission requires not only professional communication skills but also keen awareness, the ability to work in a multicultural environment and readiness to adapt to challenging conditions," she said.

“I often told my international colleagues about Việt Nam’s traditions, history, cuisine and cultural values. Through cultural events, culinary exchanges and art performances, I introduce traditional attire, signature dishes and stories of the resilience, unity and hospitality of the Vietnamese people.”

Top professionalism

The experiences shared by the four peacekeepers reflect what Vietnamese “blue beret” soldiers have been doing every day over the past decade, bringing peace and happiness to the people of Africa.

They are just a few among thousands of touching stories that Vietnamese peacekeepers have left in the hearts of local communities across the continent.

According to Major General Phạm Mạnh Thắng, director of the Việt Nam Department of Peacekeeping Operations, from the very first officers deployed on individual assignments to the UN mission in South Sudan, Việt Nam has so far deployed 1,083 personnel from the Việt Nam People’s Army and the People’s Public Security, both in unit formations and individual positions.

Many Vietnamese officers, upon completing their missions, have been highly commended by the UN for their outstanding performance and awarded certificates of merit and letters of commendation. All Việt Nam People’s Army personnel have been awarded the UN Peacekeeping Medal by mission commanders on behalf of the UN Security Council.

The proportion of Vietnamese officers rated as outstanding performers is significantly higher than the overall average within the UN system and among other troop-contributing countries. At present, the rate of Vietnamese female military personnel participating in UN peacekeeping operations has reached over 16 per cent, well above the global average of other troop-contributing nations, according to the department.

“We have left a profound and beautiful image of the Vietnamese blue berets, the image of President Hồ Chí Minh's soldiers, contributing to the promotion of the noble humanitarian values of the Vietnamese people, a nation that cherishes peace,” Gen Thắng said.

On many occasions, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, praised the capabilities and professionalism of Vietnamese peacekeeping forces and expressed his confidence that Việt Nam would continue to make effective contributions and expand its participation in this common mission.

Việt Nam had not only demonstrated a strong commitment to the UN but had also made a real difference in conflict-affected areas. What was most important was that Việt Nam’s peacekeeping activities were people-centred, supporting communities affected by conflict and bringing hope for the future, he said.

Lt Col Vinh, after completing her mission in South Sudan, has become the commander of Việt Nam Peacekeeping Police Unit 1 (VNFPU1) at the Ministry of Public Security since early 2024.

She said although the peacekeeping force from the Ministry of Public Security was formed later than that of the Ministry of National Defence, the unit had matured rapidly. So far, there had been 21 police officers deployed on the UN peacekeeping mission.

VNFPU1 had been upgraded from level 1 to level 2 in the UN Peacekeeping Capacity Readiness System within just over six months since its establishment, Vinh said.

"The Vietnamese peacekeeping force has grown rapidly with a high level of readiness. They are always prepared to serve the cause of peace worldwide, at any mission and in any field," she said. VNS