African Residents Return Home on Charter Flight with South Sudan Hanbit Unit

[Asia Economy Reporter Yang Nak-gyu]The charter flight carrying the 12th rotation of the Hanbit Unit from South Sudan, Africa, is scheduled to return with Korean residents from Africa on board.

On the 18th, the Ministry of National Defense announced, "The rotation of the 11th and 12th Hanbit Units has been confirmed for today and the 1st of next month," adding, "The farewell ceremony for the 1st echelon of the 12th rotation was held this morning, and in the evening, the 1st echelon will depart for South Sudan via charter flight."

The military had planned to rotate the 11th and 12th Hanbit Units in March, but the rotation was postponed as South Sudan banned the entry of peacekeeping forces to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

The 12th rotation of the Hanbit Unit underwent quarantine for over five weeks and was tested twice using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests. All results came back negative. The military supplied protective equipment such as masks and protective suits and conducted situational response training in preparation for emergencies.

The charter flight returning to Korea after deploying the 1st echelon of the 12th rotation will carry Korean residents from African countries including Ghana, Kenya, and Ethiopia. On the 21st, Korean residents will board in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, a transit country. Both soldiers and residents boarding the charter flight will undergo fever checks before boarding, and military medical personnel along with support staff from the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be on board to provide medical support.

In March, the Ministry of National Defense repatriated the 11th rotation to Korea, leaving only essential personnel to carry out missions. The remaining personnel of the 11th rotation who stayed locally are scheduled to return on the 1st of next month when the 2nd echelon of the 12th rotation is deployed.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.