800 Thai peacekeepers to join Darfur hybrid mission

February 14, 2009 (BANGKOK) – Thailand announced that it will contribute 800 troops to take part in the 26000 UN-African Union peacekeeping mission to be deployed in the troubled region of Darfur.

The Thai military contingent will be charged with the building and improving of military installation in Mukhjar and Um-Dukhum towns, South Darfur, patrolling and protecting peacekeeping convoys during an assignment there which would last six months.

The Thai peacekeepers are expected to arrive in within four months, in June.

Sudanese government welcomed last September the participation of the Thai in the hybrid peacekeeping operation. Pakistan, China and Thailand are among few countries that Khartoum accepted their participation in the UNAMID after objecting for longtime any non-African troops.

More troops are expected to be deployed in Darfur by March from Egypt, South Africa, Senegal and Bangladesh. Later in 2008, further troops will arrive from Nepal, Nigeria, Egypt and Ethiopia. Tanzania will send an infantry battalion of 900 troops and advance party including engineers.

Last January, the UN, AU and the Sudanese government discussed, in a meeting held in Addis Ababa, ways to accelerate the deployment of UNAMID to reach its authorized strength of 26,000 military and police personnel.

UN Security Council adopted resolution 1769 on July 31st which authorized a hybrid UN-AU force (UNAMID) consisting of 26,000 troops and police but one year after it only has some 14,000 personnel and still suffers from the lack of crucial equipments and planes.

(ST)