Six peacekeepers left Finland for the Central African Republic (CAR) capital Bangui on Monday, carrying 68 tonnes of cargo, and a further 24 will join them by the end of the week.
The Nordic country had to send the cargo in a 747 jet because the troubled African country is landlocked so it could not be sent by sea. Lieutenant-Colonel Kalle Seppala explained that they had two flights for the cargo, with six peacekeepers joining those flights, while the remaining 24 soldiers will travel on scheduled flights.
According to the peacekeepers, there are around 200,000 internally displaced people currently in camps around the capital. The Finns will be based at Bangui’s airport, where around 60,000 people are staying.
Seppala explained that they have been told to expect an unusual situation at the airport, where people walk across the runway, herd cows and grow vegetables. He said the farmers stop their work when the French observation flights take off and land.
The Finns are part of the EU’s Central African Republic mission, which includes 800 troops from 15 countries. They will be deployed for four months initially, with Seppala describing conditions on the ground as “challenging” and saying that more diseases are present than in Afghanistan. He added that medical advice states that it will take about two weeks to adjust, and that water and rest are important.