MOSCOW, September 25 (RIA Novosti) - China will send 700 peacekeepers for a United Nations mission in South Sudan, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Geng Yansheng said Thursday at a monthly press briefing.
"The battalion, to be equipped with light self-defense weapons, armored infantry carriers, bulletproof uniforms and helmets, will assume the task of protecting civilians, UN and humanitarian staff, patrolling and guarding missions," Yansheng said as quoted on China's Defense Ministry official website.
Mission was approved by China's State Council and Central Military Commission and will be conducted in accordance with the UN Security Council Resolution 2155.
The exact timing and location of the mission is still unknown and will be decided during further consultations with the UN.
Violence erupted in South Sudan in December 2013, when President Salva Kiir accused his ex-deputy Riek Machar of plotting a coup. Tens of thousands have been killed during the South Sudanese Civil War.
