African Union pledges to send more troops to Darfur

KIGALI,Rawanda, Aug 18, 2004 (RNA)– The African Union has pledged to send more troops to Darfur, Sudan, to protect civilians in case militias resume attacks on them, official sources told RNA. “This is essential in order to give ourselves sufficient capacity to protect the civilian population in case the militias resume attacks on the civilians,” Patrick Mazimhaka, the deputy chairman of the commission of the African Union was quoted as saying.

“The expansion of these forces to a peace keeping is being considered. We are gravely concerned about the developments in Sudan and are taking decisive measures to bring that conflict to an end,” Mazimhaka said.

On 15 August this year, Rwanda sent 155 troops to Darfur. A similar number is expected from Nigeria this Week-end.

The Rwandan President recently said that, the Rwandan contingent would not only protect African Union cease-fire monitors, adding that Rwandan troops would be recalled if they were denied a chance to protect the civilian population. The current African Union mandate does not specifically authorize these troops to protect civilians.

Meanwhile, the US-based Human Rights Watch has described Rwanda’s extra pledge to protect civilians as in the troubled Darfur region as a golden opportunity which the international community should seize to pressurize the Khartoum government to adhere to peace agreement.

Charles Muligande, Rwanda’s foreign affairs minister, recently said that Rwanda is ready to send more troops to Darfur if requested.

Reacting to media reports on possible misunderstandings on the role of Rwandan contingent, Minister Muligande said that, “Rwanda will act according to the agreement signed with the African Union. There are misunderstandings with the Khartoum government, we know that our role is to protect AU monitors.”

Muligande added that, the government would not act as to see innocent people dying like it happened in the presence of UNAMIR. “The only decision we can take is recalling our forces.”

The AU decision to boost the number of troops to Darfur region has strongly been opposed by the Khartoum government. AU intends to increase the number to at least 2.000 and broaden the original mandate to include a peace keeping role as well as protecting cease-fire observer