• Earn Rs. 14,524 million 

With the completion of peacekeeping operations in Mali by the United Nations (UN), troops of the Sri Lanka Army deployed to Mali for peacekeeping duties have returned to the country. A total of 1,099 Officers and Other Ranks and 14 Staff Officers of the Army were deployed for peacekeeping duties in Mali.

The Army troops were deployed as part of the combat transport team at the headquarters of the Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali, which operated under the UN peacekeeping operations. The amount of foreign exchange they earned for Sri Lanka exceeds Rs. 14,524 million ($ 48,095,629.30). 

During the peacekeeping operations, Captain H.W.D. Jayawickrama of the Light Infantry, Corporal S.S. Wijekumara of the Mechanised Infantry Regiment, and Corporal M.G.L. Deshapriya of the Army Service Corps sacrificed their lives due to improvised explosive devices detonated by insurgents targeting the Army convoy. Moreover, five Officers and 29 Other Ranks were injured.

Accordingly, the Contingent Commander of the peacekeeping force in Mali, Colonel Pinsara Wickramarachchi handed over the UN flag to the Commandant of the Army Volunteer Force, Major General Dinesh Nanayakkara at the Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake, marking the end of operations in Mali.