Japan, China, Vietnam, Korea and France Lend Troops for UN Mission to Azerbaijan, Pilot Batch of Japanese Foreign Troops Deployed

A multi-national force of UN peacekeepers deployed to the contested Nagorno-Karabakh early last month. Because of the Russian peacekeepers already deployed, the MINUSAZ UN authorities deployed a small increment of troops from Vietnam, South Korea, China, France, and Japan. In this rotation, Japan had the most United Nations peacekeepers present, supplemented by their pilot batch of foreign troops.

Japanese soldier conducting security for the visiting president of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. (CGTN)

Due to high suicide rates in the Japanese Ground Self Defense Force, and the country’s highest suicide rate overall in 3 decades, Chief of the Ground Staff General Yoshihide Yoshida launched a campaign with the Philippine defense secretary Delfin Lorenzana, to launch a pilot batch of 300 foreign Japanese troops, mostly Filipinos with a background in their home country’s military. This decision was backed by the US DoD. “Filipinos are optimistic and can make a grim situation seem alright,” commended General Yoshida. Those with an educational background or commissioned rank were also given equivalent ranks in the Japanese Foreign Unit.

SGT Leran Abuyabor applying medical aid to an Azeri police officer. Abuyabor is a medical graduate from the University of Santo Tomas. (jsdf.us)

The Filipinos’ medical background brcame useful when stragglers of an Armenian extremist group bombed the Azeri police station. Filipino Japanese troops rushed and rendered aid to the wounded officers, saving the life of at least two Azeri officials. A pipeline from the Russian gas company, Gazprom, was slated to complete a second piepeline but due to the Ukraine conflict and other economic sanctions, was unable to conduct operations this year.

From L-R: South Korean, Azeri local police, Vietnamese, and Chinese forces. (CGTN.)

South Korean soldier helping the JSDF forces build fortifications by providing rear security. (CGTN)

Norwegian UN observer with JSDF troops. (MSW)

SGT Abuyabor with local Russian peacekeepers. (jsdf.us)

FIlipino members of the JFU. (jsdf.us)

Japanese 2LT advising his unit on their day to day plans (jsdf.us)