Germany extends Sudan peacekeeping mission

Sept 21, 2005 (BERLIN) — The German government agreed on Wednesday that troops will remain at least another six months in the UN peacekeeping mission in southern Sudan, providing parliament gives its approval.

The mandate allows for up to 75 unarmed soldiers, mainly military observers, to oversee the peace agreement passed with southern rebels in January.

German Defence Minister Peter Struck said that only seven German soldiers so far were on the ground on Sudan because of problems obtaining visas, but he hoped 50 would be in place by the end of the year.

The Bundestag lower house of parliament is expected to give its approval to prolonging the mandate.

Only 2,100 UN peacekeepers out of planned total of 10,000 are already in Sudan.

The Sudanese government and the former Sudan People’s Liberation Movement signed a peace agreement on January 9 that put an end to a 21-year-old civil war that left 1.5 million dead.

About 300,000 people are estimated to have died and more than two million forced out of their homes during more than two years of conflict between Khartoum and rebels in Darfur.

(AFP/ST)