India rushes 700 additional troops to Congo
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
New Delhi, July 6, IRNA
India-Congo-Troops
Responding to an SOS from the United Nations, India is rushing 700 additional troops to Congo to provide security cover for the first ever internationally-supervised elections in the embattled country which will unroll on July 31.
"A battalion strong troop contingent comprising personnel from the 2nd Rajputana Rifles are being dispatched to Congo from July 15," PTI report said here quoting army spokesman, who said these groups would be working under UN peacekeeping mandate.
"The troops would provide security cover for people to vote in a free and fair manner in the trouble-torn eastern Katanga province," he said.
India already has more than brigade strength peacekeeping presence in the country, with an air complement of helicopter gunships and ferry helicopters to quell radical Islamic groups, who are opposed to the elections.
As part of their plans to disrupt elections, armed militiamen are engaged in carrying out attacks on civilians, armed fights with rival groups as well as ambushing the multi-national UN peacekeeping force in the country.
Armed militias in the conflict-prone northeastern region have remained active after the end of a war that embroiled the whole of the vast central African country between 1998 and 2003.
A number of UN peacekeepers, including those from Indian and Nepalese contingents, have been killed in attacks by these rebel militiamen.
2160/2322/1414
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
