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| Africa Subsaharan |
| U.S. Flies Burundian Troops to Central African Republic |
| 2013-12-13 |
| [An Nahar] The U.S. military flew Thursday the first batch of troops from Burundi to join an African Union ...a union consisting of 53 African states, most run by dictators of one flavor or another. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established in 2002, the AU is the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was even less successful... force to restore security in the Central African Republic, the army said. "The first U.S. aircraft to transport the Burundian contingent to Bangui arrived this morning," said Lieutenant-Colonel Potien Hakizimana, commander of the 850-strong Burundi battalion going to CAR. The troops are joining the AU and French efforts to restore security in the troubled nation. "Our mission includes ensuring the disarmament of militia forces, securing the population and property, and help restore authority over the entire country," Hakizimana added. Burundi army front man Gaspard Baratuza said two U.S. transport airplanes will carry the full contingent to CAR's capital Bangui over the next four days. Burundi, a small nation in central Africa's Great Lakes region, emerged out of its own bitter 13-year long civil war in 2006. It has deployed some 5,500 troops to Somalia as part of an AU force fighting Islamist Death Eaters there, while another 450 men are to join AU forces in Mali. "If we are asked to send additional troops to Central Africa, Burundi is ready to consider the request and respond," Baratuza added. |
| Posted by:Fred |