ASTANA – Major-General Anita Asmah, Force Commander of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), paid an introductory visit to the deployment site of Kazakhstan’s peacekeeping unit in the Golan Heights following its recent rotation.
Photo credit: Kazakh Defense Ministry.
During the visit, Major General Asmah emphasized the strategic role of the Kazakh unit, noting that it serves as the commander’s reserve force. In the event of an incident, the contingent is tasked with evacuating, rescuing, and protecting UN personnel, reported Kazakh Defense Ministry’s press service on May 24.
She expressed confidence that the high professionalism of Kazakhstan’s peacekeepers will allow them to effectively carry out all the tasks assigned to them.
Kazakhstan deployed its first independent peacekeeping contingent to the Golan Heights under the UN in March 2023. Following the completion of their year-long mission, a second contingent was dispatched on April 10. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev praised the peacekeepers as “messengers of peace” during a meeting on April 14.
Since 2014, Kazakhstan’s Armed Forces have taken part in UN peacekeeping missions. Eighty military observers and staff officers served in various operations, and around 700 personnel were involved in specialized UN assignments.
