Tanzania, Philippines peacekeepers to arrive in Darfur next month

May 12, 2009 (KHARTOUM) — The hybrid peacekeeping in Darfur will receive for the first time a Tanzanian army battalion while Philippines will send additional 94 police officers to Sudan’s troubled region.

Some 875 Tanzanian troops will join the African Union/United Nations Hybrid operation in Darfur (UNAMID) for one year, Tanzania’s army chief Gen. Abdel Rahman Shimbo said on Tuesday. He further pledged to double this contingent in the future.

Shimpo said Britain and the United Stated had provided the troops with equipment worth 8.2 million dollars.

The Tanzania People’s Defence Forces asked Rwanda which have troops in Darfur since 2004 to share its experience and advice during the preparation of Darfur mission. A Rwandan military delegation was in Darussalam last month for this purpose.

Sudan’s western province of Darfur has been ravaged by a civil war that erupted some six years ago. The UN experts estimate that some 300,000 people were killed there and 2.7 million are displaced.

Also, the Philippines said today it will send an additional contingent of police officers to help in the peacekeeping mission in Darfur. The 94 police officers will leave in two groups starting on May 13, according to police spokesman Chief Superintendent Nicanor Bartolome.

The Philippines police contingent was the second to be dispatched to Darfur, where some 100 officers had been assigned to the UNAMID since 2008.

UNAMID’s 13,208 military forces – a figure current as of April 24 – are tasked with protecting 2.7 million displaced civilians in Darfur. The Mission also has 2,478 police and 3,388 civilian staff.

The deployed civilian staff comprised 942 international staff, 2,142 national staff and 299 UN volunteers, 942 international staff, 2,142 national staff, and 299 UN volunteers.

(ST)