Russia’s Senate approves sending troops to Sudan

Dec 27, 2005 (MOSCOW) — The Federation Council, the Russian upper house of parliament, approved President Vladimir Putin’s initiative Tuesday to send 200 troops to Sudan to participate in the UN-led peacekeeping mission in the country.

Putin asked Russia’s upper house of parliament for approval to send up to 200 Russian soldiers to Sudan as part of a U.N.-backed peacekeeping mission, the Kremlin said Wednesday 21 December.

The U.N. Security Council voted in March to send 10,700 peacekeepers to southern Sudan to monitor an accord ending a 21-year civil war between the government and southern rebels. The deployment, however, has been delayed by logistical problems.

Russia also will send four Mi-8MT transport and combat helicopters to join the UN peacekeeping operation in Sudan.

(ST/RIA-Novosti)