Tongan troops will remain in Afghanistan for two more years until December 2014 wtih a review of their service to be held after the first year in December 2013.

The Acting Commander of the Tonga Defence Services Captain Toni Fonokalafi said this afternoon, August 22, that Tonga had agreed to remain in Afghanistan for another two years at the invitation of the British government.

He said the review in December 2013 would take into consideration the situation in Afghanistan at that time and the continuation of the Tongan troops into the final year.

In the meantime Tonga's fifth contingent consisting of 55 marines are already preparing for the next deployment and will leave Tonga for the United Kingdom soon to undergo pre-deployment training for a few weeks.

Capt. Fonokalafi  said the fifth contingent was expected to be deployed to Afghanistan in November to take over from the fourth contingent who will return to Tonga. "Our troops who are there now are doing well," he said.

The Tongan troops are providing base security at the British Camp Bastion in Helmand Province in Southern Afghanistan, he said.

Deployment

Tonga started sending contingents of 55 marines to Afghanistan in 2010, in response to an invitation by the British government.

The Tongan troops are on a six-months rotatation, where they come under the command of the NATO-led mission.