THE United Nations Under-Secretary General for peace operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix has hailed professionalism and commitment of Tanzania People’s Defence Force (TPDF) soldiers in their various peace-keeping operations.

Lacroix said this in Dar es Salaam yesterday after meeting and holding talks with Chief of Defence Forces General Jacob Mkunda.

He said the UN will continue collaborating with the Tanzanian government to ensure peace is maintained all over the world.

General Mkunda thanked the UN for trusting TPDF and deploying its soldiers in various peace-keeping missions around the world.

He said that TPDF will continue to implement its duty of peace keeping across the world anytime when asked to do so.

Currently, more than 2,600 Tanzanian military and police personnel serve in six UN operations, performing a range of tasks, including protecting civilians and community policing.

The UN deployed a transition team to set up the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) and prepare for a seamless transition of authority from the African-led International Support Mission to the Central African Republic (MISCA) to MINUSCA.

As of 30 September 2021, it had more than 15,000 troops, police and civilian personnel on the ground.

By the year 2022, there were six peacekeeping missions taking place in different parts across the world such as   the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara (MINURSO), MINUSCA and the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).

Others are   the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force for ceasefire between Israel and Syria (UNDOF), the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon,(UNIFIL) and the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission for South Sudan,(UNMISS).