Rwandan troops in Darfur returns home

KIGALI, Feb 17, 2005 (Xinhua) — Rwandan troops that have been serving on the African Union (AU) mission in the troubled Darfur region of Sudan will return home on Thursday, according to Defense Minister Marcel Gatsinzi.

The announcement was aired on the state-owned radio after Wednesday’s cabinet meeting that was chaired by President Paul Kagame and accepted the return of the troops.

More troops are expected to fly to Darfur to replace their compatriot soldiers, but there is no formal announcement of when the troops would be leaving and their number.

According to the AU mandate, the continental troops in Darfur ought to serve for six months and be replaced.

Over 400 Rwandan troops have been serving on the AU peacekeeping mission and Rwanda was first country that sent her troops in Darfur, followed by Nigeria and Chad.

Talks are currently underway for the UN to beef up the Darfur security and close to 1,000 troops have been suggested to be deployed.

Darfur has plunged into conflict since February 2003, when two rebel forces took up arms against the Khartoum government, accusing the authorities of not protecting them from the attacks of Janjaweed militia and demanding autonomy.

The United Nations calls the conflict in the restive region the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, in which thousands were reportedly killed and one million others displaced.