220 Peruvian peacekeepers to deploy to Africa for new UN Mission

Photo: Ministry of Defense of Peru

Photo: Ministry of Defense of Peru

09:30 | Lima, Jun. 27.

The 10th Contingent of the Peru Engineering Company —made up of 220 Armed Forces members— was officially sent off in a ceremony ahead of their deployment to the Central African Republic, where they will arrive on July 7 for a new United Nations peacekeeping mission.

The ceremony was held at the Army Headquarters in Lima's San Borja district on Thursday. It was led by Joint Command of the Armed Forces Chief, Army General David Ojeda, accompanied by Army Commander General Cesar Briceño.

Also in attendance were representatives of the Peruvian Navy and Air Force. Deputy Defense Resources Minister Jorge Herrera attended the event on behalf of Defense Minister Walter Astudillo.

In his speech, Ojeda highlighted the tasks to be fulfilled by the deployed personnel —Army, Navy, and Air Force members— as they have done since 2016, carrying out missions to ensure peace and internal order for the benefit of the population in that country.


"We need military forces capable of adapting to the environments in which they operate, settings marked by volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity —terms increasingly used to describe challenging and shifting scenarios that the Armed Forces must be prepared to tackle," he stated.

Meanwhile, Peru Engineering Company 10th Contingent Chief, Army Colonel Clever Chuquillanqui, underscored the gradual increase in female participation among the groups sent to the Central African Republic.

Notably, this contingent includes 30 women. "Have full confidence in these men and women; we will always carry out our duties with dignity and courage," he expressed.

The Peru Engineering Company's main mission is to carry out the repair and upkeep of airstrips, support maintenance work on roads (highways and unpaved routes), as well as maintain and repair bridges.

The company also includes specialists in explosive ordnance disposal and minefield clearance, among other engineering tasks.

Therefore, Peru reaffirms that it is up to the major challenges the world faces, as it has done since 1958, when the South American country deployed its first peacekeepers to Lebanon, the Ministry of Defense (Mindef) stated.

"The work of the Armed Forces at the regional and global levels is aimed at international security and contributes to projecting the country's image around the world," it concluded.

(END) NDP/MCA/JCR/MVB

Published: 6/27/2025