Korea seeks to extend troop deployment in Somalia, UAE

By Kang Seung-woo
Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Seoul seeks to extend the deployment of its troops in Somalia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for one more year due to their successful and productive service there to date.

The missions of the anti-piracy Cheonghae Unit off the coast of Somali and the Akh Unit, which trains the UAE’s special operations forces, expire on Dec. 31.

The Cabinet, presided over by President Park Geun-hye, adopted a resolution that will keep the units in place until the end of next year.

The bill of the deployment extension is subject to final approval by the National Assembly.

“Growing threats to Korean civilian ships from Somali pirates have resulted in the extension of the deployment of the Cheonghae Unit,” the government said.

“In addition, the unit successfully evacuated Korean nationals from Libya amid a worsening civil war between Islamic militia groups.”

The Cheonghae has been deployed in the Gulf of Aden since March 2009 as part of global efforts to tackle piracy in the region and it features one 4,000-ton destroyer and 320 sailors.

The Akh Unit ― meaning “brother” in Arabic ― has been based in the eastern region of Al Ain to help train the Middle East nation’s special operations forces and protect Korean nationals under emergency circumstances since January 2011. Korea dispatched the unit more than one year after its consortium was selected to build four nuclear power stations in Abu Dhabi in a $20 billion (21.1 trillion won) agreement in December 2009. Currently, 150 troops are stationed there.

“Taking advantage of the UAE’s various circumstances we have strengthened our military capabilities. The UAE’s requests for the extension of the unit are another reason,” the government said.

Unlike the cases of the Cheonghae and the Akh, the government pulled the Ashena Unit out of Afghanistan after the completion of its four-year mission earlier this year.

It started its mission in July 2010 in the northern Afghan city of Charikar and on the U.S. military base at Bagram to protect Korea’s provincial reconstruction team, comprised of about 150 civilian aid workers and police officers. It also pulled guard duty for the Korean embassy in Kabul.

Source: Korea Times