Deployment of UN military personnel in S. Sudan in progress
Oct 5, 2005 (KHARTOUM) — Radia Achouri, spokesperson of the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS), said here Wednesday that operations of deploying UN military personnel in southern Sudan are in progress.
Achouri told a press conference that 2,575 protection force elements and 167 military observers have recently been deployed.
“Egyptian and Indian troops are planned to arrive in the mission area by the end of this week,” said Achouri, explaining that 475 Egyptian troops will be deployed in Kadogli on Oct. 8-9 while 196 Indian troops will be deployed in Malakal and Kadogli onOct. 10-24.
The UN military observers, duly assisted by forces of the Sudanese government and the former southern rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), are carrying out routine monitoring and verification duties in all the sectors, noted the spokeswoman.
She further revealed that 12,000 troops from the Sudanese government and 6,000 troops from the SPLA have been registered with the UNMIS to form part of joint integrated units.
The UN Security Council voted unanimously in March to send 10, 000 troops and more than 700 civilian police to southern Sudan foran initial period of six months to support the comprehensive peaceagreement reached between Khartoum and the SPLA which ended more than two decades of civil war in Sudan.
(Xinhua/ST)