The second engineer team overcomes the swamp problem in the Abyei area – Photo: THINH TRAN
Vietnam’s second engineer team was deployed to the United Nations peacekeeping mission UNISFA in Abyei (Africa) just in time for the rainy season.
Heavy rains throughout the day and night have worsened the traffic here.
With more than 95% of the roads being dirt, many roads have been severely eroded, and are impassable during the rainy season. For some time now the stranded and bogged down vehicles have become an obsession for both the local people and the UN staff.
On 15 August, the captain of the 2nd Vietnam Engineer Team received a call from the mission commander, with a request to deploy a rescue team to extricate a UN petrol and oil truck that had become stuck.
Immediately after receiving the order, the captain of the Engineers team immediately convened the command team of the team and agreed on a “rescue” plan.
Recording footage of the 2nd Vietnam Engineer Team’s first mission – Video: Thin Tran – Hai Yen
An emergency tow rescue team was deployed with 15 people and 2 remote works, 1 15 ton truck, 1 special rescue vehicle, 1 protective armored vehicle and full tools and equipment for towing rescue. Major Wu Tri Xuyen – Vice Captain 2nd Engineer Squadron assumed direct command.
The distance of the march was 40 km long, it took 2 hours for rescuers to reach due to the difficult terrain after heavy rains the day before.
On reaching the spot, not only the UN oil tanker but also 2 trucks carrying the local people got stuck.
The muddy dirt roads, the large number of vehicles, as well as the language barrier as the drivers are all native speakers who do not know English, made the task of “rescue” quite complicated.
With careful preparation of both personnel and equipment, as well as the experience shared by the First Engineers team, the rescue team quickly fixed the problem. And after 2 hours successfully “rescued” 3 partridges.
A UN vehicle being pulled out of the swamp – Photo: THINH TRAN
On 16 August, Engineer Team No. 2 continued to deploy a mission to survey the area in the South Subdivision. On the Survey Road, the delegation also encountered a pick-up truck carrying people which was stuck and unable to move.
Immediately, the command board consulted and made a plan to rescue the towing on the spot with the winch of the command vehicle. After about half an hour the team force successfully towed the pickup truck, allowing the route to continue smoothly.
Soon after arriving in Abei, the second engineer team organized a mission to survey all routes assigned by the mission, including 44 km of roads in the North Division and 15 km of roads in the South Division.
At the same time, plan to set up mobile teams, prepare carefully in terms of equipment, always be on standby, ensure readiness for maneuver in any situation.” – said Major Wu Tri Xuyen, Vice Captain 2nd Engineer Team.
The second engineer team just arrived and immediately started completing the assigned task – Photo: Thín Tran
Mr. Hendrik Hamann, an officer of the mission’s IFMT (Integrated Engineers Division), shared that in this term, the second Vietnam Engineers team arriving at the mission will do a large amount of work and have just received the task. Team up and complete a new mission.
“But I am sure that you will perform well the tasks assigned by the mission, because you are the Vietnam Engineers team. Thank you Vietnam” – he said.
On 8 August, the team set out to carry out a United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Abyei region (Africa) – a disputed area between Sudan and South Sudan.
(Tags to translate) United Nations
