Finland’s operation to help stabilize the Central African Republic gets underway on Saturday when a flight leaves Turku airport carrying six peacekeepers and their cargo. They are the mission’s advance party, with 24 more Finns expected to arrive in Bangui this week.
The flight was the first time a 747 jet had flown from Turku. Such a large plane was needed as the Central African Republic is landlocked and the cargo cannot be sent by sea.
“We have booked two flights for the cargo and some of the soldiers will travel by scheduled flights,” said Lieutenant-Colonel Kalle Seppälä. “With these cargo flights you get 5-6 seats as well, so we save money that way.”
Unusual airport
The Finns are heading into a difficult situation. According to the peacekeepers, some 200,000 internally displaced people are in camps around Bangui. The Finns will initially be based at the airport, around which some 60,000 people are camped. Seppälä says the soldiers are prepared for a different airport to what they are used to.
“People walk across the runway to the other side of the airport, where they grow vegetables and herd cows,” said Seppälä. “There are French observation flights, and they (the farmers) stop work when planes take off and land.”
The Finns, who were trained at the Säkylä barracks in Pori, are part of the EU mission in the country. Some 800 troops from 15 countries are involved. The Finns’ main task is to find and clear minefields.
Fortnight of adjustment
“According to information we have at this moment, our group’s first gig is already waiting,” said staff sergeant Tero Ihatsu. “Once we get our men and gear on the ground, we’ll start work.”
The Finns have an initial deployment of four months, Seppälä says that conditions on the ground are challenging, with more infectious diseases to guard against than in Afghanistan.
“Medical advice is that it will take around two weeks to adjust,” said Seppälä. “Rest and lots of water are important.”
This story was amended on Tuesday 20 May to reflect the correct departure time for the advance party of Finnish peacekeepers.