Among them, 21 including three female officers are going for the first time

UN: Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay yesterday met with 24 officers from the Royal Bhutan Army and Royal Bhutan Police, who are leaving for Mali and Darfur as part of the United Nations Peacekeeping force.

Of the 24 officers, three are replacing the existing Bhutanese peacekeepers and 21 including three female officers are going for the first time. This is the largest group of peacekeepers being deployed from Bhutan.

Speaking to the peacekeepers, Lyonchoen shared Bhutan’s ranking in the Global Peace Index and reminded the officers that the peace Bhutanese are enjoying at the moment is the culmination of hard work and leadership by our monarchs. “You are the representatives of our King and the country,” Lyonchoen reminded the officers.

Since joining the United Nations in 1971, Lyonchoen said that Bhutan could not contribute enough. “But now it is an opportunity for us to support other countries in peacekeeping,” Lyonchoen said. “Like Gross National Happiness and our conservation efforts, we should also spread peace in the world.”

Staff reporter