Rwanda to send peacekeeping troops to Sudan’s Darfur region

KIGALI, June 28, 2004 (Xinhua) — Rwanda is set to send its peacekeeping troops to the war-torn Darfur region in the Sudan where at least 10,000 people have been killed and up to a million displaced since black African rebels rose up in February 2003, a state-run newspaper reported Monday.

Lt. Col. Charles Karamba, director of the Research and Development of the country’s armed forces, was quoted as saying that the Rwandan troops will serve under the Ceasefire Commission set up by the African Union.

Karamba led a three-man team to Darfur from June 16 to 23 to

explore the possibility of deploying a protection force in the

troubled region after “Rwanda was asked to provide a company, approximately 100 soldiers or more.”

“Our government responded positively to a call as a member of

the African Union and as a member state we have the obligation to

fulfill the request of the AU Peace and Security Council,” said

Karamba. Meanwhile, Rwandan army spokesman Col. Vincent Karegeya told Xinhua that “We have had good training, our officers have been trained in peacekeeping in Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria and Holland and what I can tell you is that we have the qualified manpower to participate in peace missions.”

Brigadier General Okwonko from Nigeria heads the Ceasefire Commission that will also have troops from Tanzania, Nigeria and Botswana.