BEIJING — The first 120 troops of a 700-man Chinese U.N. peacekeeping force have departed for South Sudan, deepening China’s commitment to the troubled East African nation, where two of its peacekeepers were killed in fighting over the summer.
The new troops, who departed on Sunday, are part of the third Chinese battalion to be sent to South Sudan to protect civilians, U.N. staff and humanitarian workers, and to conduct patrols and provide security escorts.
South Sudan has seen continuous fighting since its civil war broke out in December 2013. The more than 12,000 U.N. peacekeepers already in the country have been criticized for failing to protect civilians.