The United Nations has deployed 300 peacekeepers to help secure the town of Bakouma in the Central African Republic (CAR), a UN spokesman said on Monday, APA reports citing Xinhua.
The peacekeepers moved Sunday morning into Bakouma, one of the towns where security concerns delayed holding elections in December and March, said Stephane Dujarric, the chief spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
The peacekeepers will protect the civilian population and help to organize legislative elections later this month, Dujarric said.
Access to Bakouma, about 130 km north of the regional capital of Bangassou on the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is possible following the repair of bridges damaged weeks ago by armed groups. The peacekeepers are part of the mission known as MINUSCA.
Three UN peacekeepers died in December in regional violence leading up to the long-delayed legislative elections.
Follow us on Telegram
t.me/apanewsaz
Follow us on Instagram
Follow us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
