At the United Nations Day 2026 celebrations in Abyei, Vietnam’s 5th Engineering Unit earned three gold trophies, including top honors in men’s and women’s doubles badminton and the best-decorated exhibition booth, Tuoitre.vn reported.
Peacekeepers Display Culture and Cuisine in Abyei
Under the overarching theme “Together for Peace,” the festivities brought together United Nations peacekeepers and local community representatives in the disputed border region. Brigadier General Adebowale Oladimeji Ajagbe, deputy commander of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), attended alongside local government officials, unit commanders, and residents.
VMCEC-IV marked Vietnam’s 81st Independence Day on 2 Sep, honouring Vietnamese peacekeepers serving under the UN flag. The celebration brought @UNISFA_1 personnel and the local community together, promoting cultural understanding, unity and camaraderie.#Abyei @UNPeacekeeping pic.twitter.com/pE2dkT2q6K
Representing the Vietnamese contingent were Colonel Nguyen Xuan Thanh, commander of the Vietnamese peacekeeping forces at UNISFA and team leader of the engineering unit, alongside Major Nguyen Van Linh, the unit’s political officer. The cultural and culinary exhibition served as a primary showcase for the deployment, drawing international crowds to view traditional conical hats (nón lá and nón quai thao), traditional kites, paper fans, oil paintings, and historical texts.
Traditional Performances and Culinary Displays Capture Attention
The unit’s booth featured authentic homeland dishes prepared by personnel, including fried spring rolls (nem rán), sweet bean soup (chè đậu), and fried sticky rice (xôi chiên). Alongside the food and exhibits, female peacekeepers wearing blue berets performed a cone-hat dance set to the melody of “Hello Vietnam.” The choreography paired fluid movements with traditional conical hats to highlight Vietnamese culture for international personnel.
Judges evaluated the cultural exchange spaces during the event’s focal awards ceremony, recognizing the Vietnamese engineering unit for building an immersive environment that integrated national cuisine, history, and craftsmanship.
Badminton Victories Highlight Inter-Mission Camaraderie
Beyond the cultural exhibitions, the engineering contingent secured athletic success on the courts. The unit claimed two gold trophies in the men’s and women’s doubles badminton tournaments. According to mission reporting, the matches provided a platform for positive interactions and sportsmanship between Vietnamese officers and international forces stationed at UNISFA.
The accumulation of three gold trophies—spanning cultural presentation and athletic competition—reinforced the active, friendly footprint of the deployment within the multinational mission environment. The blue-beret personnel continue their rotation in the region under the mandate of supporting local infrastructure and community engagement.
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