Beijing, Nov 28: China's first team of peacekeepers assigned to the civil war ravaged West African nation of Liberia will leave here on Sunday, the Ministry of Public Security said here. The first group will comprise of five policemen, who will set off on November 30 and this will be the first time China would be sending peacekeeping police to Africa, which was at the request of the United Nations and approved by the government.

In October, Liberia switched diplomatic ties from Taiwan to China, resuming ambassadorial ties with Beijing. The UN Security Council in September unanimously voted for the deployment of a peacekeeping mission in war-torn Liberia for one year.

Currently, 29 countries, including China, the United States and Britain, have decided or already sent peacekeeping police to Liberia, bringing the number of peacekeepers there to 1,200.

An earlier report said the Chinese People's Liberation Army would also send over 240 soldiers to carry out peacekeeping mission in Liberia. This group of Chinese soldiers will be responsible for transportation tasks for other peacekeeping forces near the Liberian capital, Monrovia.

Since January 2000, the Chinese government has sent 214 police to participate in UN peacekeeping missions.

Bureau Report