Ugandan peacekeepers ready for Sudan’s Darfur

Sept 24, 2005 (KAMPALA) — A contingent of 56 Ugandan policemen is scheduled to leave for Sudan’s war-torn Darfur region on Monday to assist an African Union (AU) peacekeeping mission, Ugandan press reported on Saturday.

Chris Opio, commissioner of police in charge of human resource management, was quoted by The New Vision as saying that plans were underway for an official send-off on Monday, before the officers leave in the evening.

He said the contingent, including sergeants and inspectors would be in Sudan for at least one year.

They will monitor service delivery by the Sudan police to the community, facilitate the building of good relations between the community and the police and share knowledge on the successful adoption and implementation of community policing, he said

The officers will also monitor the implementation of the ceasefire, distribution of relief items and investigate crimes.

They are to supplement the efforts of other contingents from Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa that are already in Darfur.

Ugandan police is also expected to send a contingent of six senior officers to southern Sudan in October under the United Nations to train the public force in the once volatile but now relatively peaceful region, following a January peace deal.

(Xinhua/ST)