Last batch of Rwandan soldiers leaves for Darfur

KIGALI, Rwanda, May 8, 2005 (Sudan Tribune) — Seventy two Rwandan Defence Forces soldiers yesterday left for the troubled Darfur region of Sudan on a mission to safeguard the African Union and other peacekeepers’ forces there, the Rwandan radio said.

Rwandan troops sing and dance in Camp Kanombe, in Kigali, prior to flying to Sudan’s western region of Darfur in 2004. (AFP).

The troops are the fourth and last batch of the Rwandan Defence Forces to be repatriated to Darfur. Before them, 124 troops were sent to Darfur in two batches. One made of 49 troops and the other of 75. So far, 196 RDF soldiers have been sent to Darfur under the leadership of Maj David Mahenzi.

The ceremony to bid off the troops was presided over by the army Chief of Staff, Gen James Kabarebe, Lt-Col Charles Karamba and the chief of the airforce, Lt-Gen Charles Muhire.

The official charged with research and development in the RDF, Lt-Col Charles Karamba, said that in total there are 392 RDF troops in Darfur.

Meanwhile, the troops who were in Darfur have returned to Rwanda. They arrived yesterday at 3 p.m.

Material provided by the BBC Monitoring Service.