Major General Simon Ndour presided over the official ceremony for the handover of the national flag to the 5th Senegalese Rapid Intervention Detachment of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic.

This rotation comes in a context marked by a reduction in personnel in several UN operations around the world.

For the Chief of Staff of the Army, this decision nevertheless reflects the renewed confidence of the United Nations in Senegal, which has been engaged for more than four years in this sensitive and strategic mission.

In his speech, General Ndour praised the work done by previous Senegalese contingents in the Central African Republic. According to him, the UN mission authorities, the Central African administration, and the local population appreciate the professionalism and sense of duty of the Senegalese soldiers deployed in the field.

The 5th detachment is composed of 150 soldiers, including 10 women. It includes a headquarters, two motorized sections, a mechanized section and a support section.

The Chief of Staff of the Army recalled that the security situation in the Central African Republic remains worrying despite a relative lull observed after the presidential election of December 2025. Some areas of the country continue to face violence from armed groups, intercommunal conflicts and struggles related to the control of natural resources.

Faced with these challenges, General Simon Ndour emphasizes that the Senegalese military will have the mission of protecting civilians, facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid, contributing to the disarmament and demobilization of armed groups, supporting the reform of the security sector and accompanying the return of displaced persons to their localities of origin.

He also emphasized the symbolic significance of the national flag presentation ceremony. This act reflects the confidence the Senegalese nation places in its soldiers to represent the country with dignity abroad. "You are ambassadors of hope and solidarity," he declared to the officers, non-commissioned officers, and enlisted personnel.

He urged them to demonstrate rigor, discipline and professionalism in carrying out their mission, while maintaining close relationships with local populations.

The Chief of Staff of the Army finally acknowledged the magnitude of the challenges facing the Senegalese contingent, while expressing his confidence in the soldiers' ability to accomplish their mission with honor and efficiency.