India will send a battalion of infantry to Africa's oil-rich Abei region for UN peacekeeping missions next month. The oilfields are spread across northern and southern Sudan. The Indian infantry group with around 570 troops in both the locations will be deployed under the United Nations Interim Security Force (UNISFA) ABEI. Indian troops are tasked with monitoring the volatile border between North and South Sudan and facilitating humanitarian aid. Indian Army's participation in various UN peacekeeping missions has ensured stability in various parts of the world.
There are currently 5,300 Indian troops stationed in eight of the 12 UN missions operating across the world. The Indian Army is deployed at number three in UN peacekeeping operations after Bangladesh and Nepal. In January last year, India was made a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for two years. This is the eighth time that India has got a place in the 15-member United Nations Security Council. The decision to send another infantry battalion here has been taken recently. 135 Indian peacekeepers posted in the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) have been awarded the United Nations Medal for their 'outstanding performance'.
The Indian Army was first deployed to the United Nations Mission in Korea in 1953–54. Since then more than 2.58 lakh soldiers of the 1.3 million strong Indian Army have contributed in 51 out of 71 UN missions, in which 159 Indian soldiers have also sacrificed their lives in various operations. Indian troops have been deployed from Yemen, Namibia, Mozambique, Angola, Ethiopia-Eritrea to Cambodia, Somalia, Rwanda, Lebanon, Congo and Sudan. Indian troops are stationed at a makeshift operational base in Bor, Pibor and Akobo in South Sudan and are engaged in a range of activities, including civil-military cooperation such as veterinary camps.
What is Congo United Nations Mission
More than 5,500 Indian military and police personnel are serving in UN peacekeeping operations in Abai, Cyprus, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lebanon, the Middle East, Somalia, South Sudan and Western Sahara. As of March 2021, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan has a total of 19,075 personnel. About 14,000 military personnel, including Indian soldiers, are deployed at the United Nations Congo Mission, with the highest number of Indian soldiers being more than 2,200. Troops from Pakistan, Bangladesh, South Africa, Nepal, Brazil, Malawi, Ghana, Uruguay and Tanzania are contributing to the UN mission in Congo.