KATHMANDU: Nepal has achieved a significant milestone by becoming the leading contributor of security personnel in United Nations Peacekeeping Missions, surpassing its previous contender, Bangladesh.

As per the latest United Nations data, Nepal has outpaced Bangladesh, which previously held the top position, in deploying security personnel for peacekeeping missions.

The data, as of November 30, 2023, reveals that Nepal currently has 6,247 security personnel engaged in peace missions.

This marks a notable shift from the past, where Bangladesh led the charts with Nepal securing the second position.

Presently, Bangladesh has 6,197 security personnel on peace missions, followed by India with 6,073, Rwanda with 5,919, and Pakistan with 4,164 personnel.

The deployment breakdown includes 42 experts, 180 unit members, 56 police advisors, 104 staff officers, and 5,865 other forces from Nepal.

Specifically, 1,145 personnel are stationed in Congo, 1,742 in South Sudan, and 104 in Sudan.

Additionally, deployments include 5 in Western Sahara, 3 in Israel, and 873 peacekeepers in Lebanon.

Furthermore, 16 personnel are engaged in the Mali mission, 416 in Syria, 1,241 in the Central African Republic, 88 in Iraq, 235 in Libya, and 2 in Yemen.

Six Nepalese soldiers also serve at the UN headquarters, with an additional 44 personnel from Nepal Police and 222 from Armed Police contributing to various missions.

Nepal’s involvement in UN peacekeeping missions dates back to 1955, when it became a UN member.

The initiation occurred in 1958 when five military observers were stationed in Lebanon, marking the commencement of the Nepali Army’s participation in peace missions.

Since then, approximately 150,000 Nepalese troops have contributed to peacekeeping efforts.