The UN peacekeeping forces in Sudan on Wednesday awarded certificates of merit to the Chinese peacekeeping troops for their excellent performance during their eight-month task term in Sudan, a Chinese officer told Xinhua on Thursday.

Lt. Gen. Jasbir Singh Lidder, commander of the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS), handed over the Unit Citations to the engineering, transportation, and medical contingents of the Chinese peacekeeping troops, and the Force Commander Commendations to 22 members of the Chinese troops.

The two kinds of certificates of merit are the highest honor awarded for the peacekeepers from various contributing countries in Sudan, said the Chinese officer.

The awarding ceremony was held in the base of the Chinese peacekeeping troops in Wau, the capital of West Bahr al-Ghazal State in southern Sudan, two weeks before their departure from Sudan to rotate with another batch of Chinese peacekeeping troops.

In his address at the ceremony, Lidder said it was a great honor for him to stay with the Chinese peacekeepers as they were ending "their very successful term" in Sudan.

"During the past months, the three contingents of the Chinese peacekeeping troops have done a prominent job to be an example model for their professionalism, commitment and conduct, " Lidder said.

The Chinese peacekeepers had also managed to maintain an excellent relation with the contingents of other countries and with the local population as well, the UNMIS commander said.

Li Chengwen, the Chinese Ambassador in Sudan, congratulated all the three contingents, the 22 Chinese peacekeepers as well as the other officers and soldiers of the Chinese troops for receiving the certificates of merit.

He highly praised the performance of the Chinese peacekeeping in Sudan especially in the extremely difficult and complicated conditions.

The 435-strong Chinese peacekeeping troops, the second batch of Chinese peacekeepers deployed in southern Sudan since Chine took part in the UN peacekeeping operation there in May last year, arrived in Wau in January this year.

(Xinhua News Agency September 14, 2007)