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Ukraine peacekeepers begin deployment

    ABIDJAN

    A ship carrying an advanced party of Ukranian peacekeepers and equipment has left the Ukraine for Sierra Leone, ITAR-TASS reported on Monday.

    The Geroi Shipki - meaning heroes of the Shipka - is expected to dock in Freetown in early January with 244 vehicles and armoured cars, the Russian news agency reported. Two Russian-built Antonov-124 transport planes are due to deliver more equipment and peacekeepers to Sierra Leone on Wednesday.

    Their task will be to prepare the location for the 800-member Ukranian battalion to UNAMSIL which is due for full deployment before the end of January, the news agency reported.

    In all, some 220 Ukrainian armoured cars and 220 trucks will be sent to Sierra Leone, replacing departing Indian and Jordanian troops who were the second and third largest components of UNAMSIL after Nigeria.
    Additional Bangladeshi troops are to join the force. The UN has had difficulty finding well-trained and equipped troops to fill this void and increase its peacekeepers to 20,500.

    Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has recommended that the Security Council extend UNAMSIL’s mandate for another three months so it can deploy to rebel-controlled areas of the country.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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