Central American troops deployed in Central Africa receive medals after completing 9 month service

**Gauthier** · 09-01-2014, 03:37 AM

http://monusco.unmissions.org/Defaul...4&ItemID=20554
Dungu, 13 May 2014

The 150 elements of the Guatemalan Forces deployed within the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) were awarded UN medals on 13 May 2014 in Dungu, Eastern Province, after duly completing their 9-month service in the country.

This was the 13th rotation of the Guatemalan military contingent deployed in Eastern DRC, which made outstanding contributions to the FARDC-led operations, with support from MONUSCO against Ugandan rebels of the Lord Resistant Army (LRA) in the district of Haut-Uélé. The military pressure forced LRA to limit its activities on the border area between South Sudan and Central African Republic.

Combining land patrols and air reconnaissance missions, the Guatemalan force facilitated humanitarian access and markedly reduced the frequency of brutal clashes in the areas once under LRA attacks, especially the Garamba Park, LRA’s favorite refuge. Moreover, Guatemalan peacekeepers contributed to the capacity-building of the Congolese national security forces within the framework of a training program codenamed KASIMBA on Intelligence and hostage liberation tactics. More than 250 FARDC elements have received training from Guatemalan contingent since 2010 in the territory of Dungu.

During the medal-award ceremony, one-minute silence was observed in honor of the Guatemalan peacekeepers fallen in the service of peace in DRC. It is worth recalling that in 2007, 8 Guatemalan peacekeepers lost their lives in an ambush set by LRA in the Garamba Park. A wreath was laid at the feet of the monument dedicated to the fallen peacekeepers in the Guatemalan Special Forces military camp in Dungu.

http://monusco.unmissions.org/Defaul...4&ItemID=20554

A couple months old article but interesting nonetheless. It is worth noting the presence of these folks who have fought with great bravery. Their skirmishes with the rebels have been quite intense, a few years ago they lost 8 soldiers. They are the only Hispanic-American country with troops serving in Africa.