A contingent of 203 Nepali peacekeepers from the Narayandal Battalion’s 16th Contingent has departed for South Sudan as part of a replacement under the United Nations peacekeeping mission, the Nepali Army said. The group is taking over from the Naya Gorakh Battalion’s 15th Contingent, while 204 Nepali peacekeepers who completed their tenure in the mission have returned home.
Replacement under the UN mission
The deployment is part of a rotation of Nepali personnel serving in South Sudan. The 16th Contingent of the Narayandal Battalion is replacing the Naya Gorakh Battalion’s 15th Contingent, which had been serving in the UN mission. The exchange was made in response to a United Nations call for peacekeeping operations, according to information released by the Nepali Army’s Directorate of Public Relations and Information.
The departing contingent consists of 203 peacekeepers. Their deployment marks the arrival of a new Nepali Army contingent for the mission as the outgoing personnel conclude their service. The Army said 204 Nepali peacekeepers who had completed their tenure returned to Nepal.
The figures for the departing and returning groups are not identical: 203 personnel left for South Sudan, while 204 who completed their tenure came back. The information provided by the Army did not explain the difference in the contingent totals, and no further details about the personnel were released in the announcement.
Nepali personnel return after completing tenure
The return of the 204 peacekeepers follows the completion of their assignment in the South Sudan mission. Their service has ended as the replacement contingent prepares to take over from the Naya Gorakh Battalion’s 15th Contingent. The Army announcement described the movements as an exchange of Nepali peacekeepers serving in the UN operation.
The rotation keeps Nepali personnel represented in the mission while allowing those who have completed their tenure to return home. The new contingent is from the Narayandal Battalion, and its deployment follows the United Nations’ request for peacekeeping operations. The announcement did not provide further information about the outgoing personnel’s return arrangements or the incoming contingent’s duties and schedule in South Sudan.
The Nepali Army’s Directorate of Public Relations and Information reported the deployment and return. No additional operational details were included in the information made available about the changeover.
