S. Africa to send more troops to Sudan’s Darfur region

JOHANNESBURG, Apr 28, 2005 (Xinhua) — The South African government announced on Thursday that it would send more troops to Sudan’s war-torn western region of Darfur.

South African President, Thabo Mbeki (L) and his Sudanese counterpart, Omar el Bashir (AFP).

The government’s spokesman Joel Netshitenzhe said that a cabinet meeting Thursday in Pretoria “agreed to respond positively to a request from the African Union (AU) for additional South African personnel in the African Mission in the Sudan.”

The AU’s Peace and Security Council on Thursday decided to increase the peacekeeping force in Darfur from 2,200 to more than 7,700, including nearly 5,500 troops, 1,600 civilian police and some 700 military observers.

He said the reinforced troops would be put in place by the end of September.

The 53-nation body currently has 2,200 troops in Darfur out of an initial proposal of 3,320.

The conflict of Darfur flared up in February 2003 when two rebel groups took up arms against the Khartoum government accusing it of negligence.

Netshitenzhe said that the cabinet meeting has also agreed to extend the South African National Defense Force deployment in Burundi until at least March next year.

The contingent in Burundi would be responsible for VIP security and “assisting the process towards democratic elections and lasting peace,” the SAPA news agency reported.

It welcomed the presence in South Africa of a delegation from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which is to have discussions with the government on taking the process of reconciliation and reconstruction in that country forward, Netshitenzhe said.

They would also discuss strengthening relations between the two countries.