• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

BURUNDI-SOUTH AFRICA: South African troops to remain longer in Burundi, Zuma says

NAIROBI, 14 November 2003 (IRIN) - South Africa will retain its peacekeeping troops in Burundi until the country sets up its own security services, South African Deputy President Jacob Zuma said on Thursday.

The South African Press Association (SAPA) quoted Zuma as saying that his country's participation in the Burundi peace process was for the benefit of South Africa. He was responding to questions in the South African National Assembly on whether the country should maintain the troops in Burundi.

SAPA reported that the cost of the deployment of the troops to Burundi has so far cost about 800 million rand (US $118.8 million).

Zuma was quoted as saying that South Africa could not be safe and stable on an unstable continent, hence the deployment.

Ethiopia, Mozambique and South Africa, the countries contributing troops to Burundi under the aegis of the African Union, completed deployment on 19 October with the arrival of 91 Mozambican troops in the Burundian capital, Bujumbura.

The arrival brought the African Mission in Burundi (AMIB) to full strength at 3,128 peacekeepers.

AMIB's mission is to help disarm, demobilise and reintegrate into society all rebel troops and to monitor the country's transition to democracy after 10 years of war. The deployment was also expected ease the way for greater humanitarian delivery to the country's displaced and war affected population.

Of the AMIB troops, Ethiopia is contributing 1,297 soldiers, Mozambique 202 and the rest are from South Africa.

Theme(s): (IRIN) Conflict

[ENDS]

The material contained on this Web site comes to you via IRIN, a UN humanitarian information unit, but may not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations or its agencies. If you re-print, copy, archive or re-post any item on this site, please retain this credit and disclaimer. Quotations or extracts should include attribution to the original sources. All graphics and Images on this site may not be re-produced without the express permission of the original owner. All materials copyright © UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 2003