Bangladeshi troops arrive in south Darfur
October 24 2008 (EL-FASHER) – A group of 163 Bangladeshi officers arrived yesterday to serve with the hybrid United Nations-African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID), which is tasked with the implementation of a partial peace deal and the protection of civilians in the
Another 162 personnel are expected to join the multi-role logistics unit on Friday in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur state, giving a boost to the joint AU-UN mission in logistical support. Bangladesh is the second-largest UN troop-contributing country and its current deployment in Darfur includes one formed police unit (FPU) also deployed in South Darfur, as well as 53 individual police advisers.
The Bangladeshi unit brings additional logistical and engineering capabilities in the areas of supply, transport, maintenance and force protection to UNAMID.
An advanced party, consisting of 25 officers, arrived in Nyala last month to prepare for the arrival of the Unit’s main body and to assist in the completion of the Super Camp in Nyala.
Today’s deployment brings the total number of UNAMID forces – slated to eventually become the world body’s largest peacekeeping operation with some 26,000 personnel at full strength – to 8,917 troops and police officers on the ground. But it still lacks essential equipment, including helicopters.
An additional 3,000 personnel, mostly from Ethiopia and Egypt, are expected to join UNAMID in the next two months, bringing the total number of troops by the end of November to over 12,000.
(ST)