Tanzania to deploy 800 troops to Darfur in March

March 19, 2008 (DAR ES SALAAM) — Tanzanian government announced that it will contribute 800 troops to take part in the 26000 UN-African Union peacekeeping forces to be deployed in the troubled western Sudan region of Darfur.

“We have all the blessings of the Sudanese government, who have requested Tanzania to contribute to the hybrid force to help them restore peace and tranquility in the region, “Tanzania’s Defense Minister, Juma Kapuya told the local press on Tuesday.

Kapuya said that the Tanzanian troops, to be deployed in March, would refrain from combat while patrolling the region, adding “They will only be mandated to fire back if they come under attack.”

The deployment of the joint African Union-U.N. peacekeeping force faces delays, however, due to a lack of aviation, transport and logistics units.

Currently there are only some 9000 troops in Darfur. Egypt and Ethiopia also said they would start deploying their troops in Darfur each will send this month 850 soldiers. The total contribution of Ethiopia is 5000 soldiers while Egypt 2100 soldiers.

U.N. and African peace envoys on Tuesday urged donor nations to speed support to peacekeepers in war-torn Darfur, and called on Chad and Sudan to work harder to cool border tensions exacerbating the long-running conflict.

“If we can get a quicker deployment of the peacekeeping troops then we can convey the message that yes, the security is increasing,” said Jan Eliasson, the U.N. special envoy to Darfur.

“For peacekeeping to be successful there has to be a peace to keep,” he told a news briefing at the close of two-day talks at the United Nations offices in Geneva.

International experts estimate 2.5 million people have been forced from their homes in the five years of revolt in Darfur, which borders Chad. Washington calls the violence genocide, a term European governments are reluctant to use and which Khartoum rejects. Sudan says only 9,000 people have died.

(ST)