Nigeria continues to rotate peacekeepers in Sudan’s Darfur

Sept 5, 2006 (ABUJA) — The Nigerian Army Headquarters said on Tuesday that it would continue to rotate its troops serving in Sudan’s Darfur.

Col. Ayo Olaniyi, director of the Army Public Relations of the Nigerian Army Headquarters in the capital Abuja, told reporters that the headquarters would “continue to rotate its troops at the appropriate time in the region.”

He said that the Nigerian Army would continue the operation in Darfur until a counter directive was issued by the appropriate authorities.

The African Union (AU) troops were deployed to the Darfur region to serve as a buffer zone between the government forces and rebel groups.

Over the last weekend, more than 700 officers and men of the Nigerian Army were airlifted to participate in the AU peacekeeping mission in Sudan.

(Xinhua/ST)