The U.S. donated $850,000 worth of military gear to Zambia to help protect the country’s peacekeepers during their deployment in the Central African Republic.
The gear includes uniforms, helmets, boots and other protective items, the Times of Zambia reported. The donation was made by U.S. Ambassador to Zambia Eric Schultz at an event in March 2015 at the Arakan Barracks in Lusaka.
“Zambia’s commitment to peace in Africa is admirable, and the United States salutes Zambia’s decision to join the United Nations mission in protecting innocent civilians, women and children in the Central African Republic,” Schultz said, according to mwebantu.com.
In May 2015, Zambia sent 750 peacekeepers to join the U.N. mission in the troubled African nation. The CAR has been mired in violence since 2013 when a coalition of rebel groups known as the Seleka overthrew the government. In response, another militia group known as the anti-Balaka began launching attacks. The violence displaced about one-quarter of the population, according to U.N. figures.
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