Rwanda to send 100 peacekeepers to troubled Darfur : FM

KIGALI, Rwanda July 02, 2004 (RNA) — The Rwandan Foreign Affairs Ministry sources have confirmed the request of African Union to participate in Darfur-Sudan as part of peacekeeping mission, RNA has established.

According to State Minister in the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Protais Mitali, a company made up of 100 Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) soldiers will be part of the African Union peacekeeping force in Darfur.

“The intention to choose Rwanda to be part of the force is especially related to the experience Rwandan army has in genocidal related situations,” the state minister told RNA on phone. Adding that, Rwanda has disciplined army capable of such situations.

“I can not confirm that what is happening in Darfur is real genocide, but according to the information from the area, Rwanda’s intervention can somehow protect the people being killed,” Mitali said.

On whether Rwandan troops is to take part in any other peacekeeping missions, the minister said that, there are other requests but Rwanda is pre-occupied by the Great Lakes security, with the presence of genocidal militias in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

AU has sent to Darfur over 20 military observers as part of a 30m-dollar-one-year AU mission.