•United Nations satisfied with preparations

GAKO - A United Nations military inspection team has expressed satisfaction over Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) readiness to redeploy its peacekeeping troops in the troubled Sudanese western region of Darfur.

The seven-man inspection team led by Lt. Col. Tim House lauded the RDF during their peace support pre-redeployment assessment at Gako Military Academy where they inspected four battalions that are yet to be deployed in Darfrur.

During the inspection exercise, the troops that have undertaken eight months’ training demonstrated their preparedness in general operations, equipment and individual readiness.

The troops will be deployed under the auspices of the United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) and the first contingent is expected to take off mid next month.

The troops will be equipped with all infantry weapons for protection ranging from individual rifles to infantry support weapons.

During the UN inspection exercise, the RDF soldiers demonstrated gun firing skills using AKM47s, MMGs, 12mm Anti Aircrafts, 73mm Anti Tank, 60mm mortar and AK47 among other weapons.

Other demonstrations included medical and communication facilities, crowd control and showed off  highly modernised mobile water treatment plants and mobile kitchens.

Also demonstrated were night operations and individual and infantry protection, and display of other equipment that would be used by the troops during their stay in Darfur.

All the equipment belongs to Rwanda and the troops will be using them under the wet-lease agreement signed between Rwanda and the UN.

In an interview with Lt. Col. House, he expressed his appreciation to Rwanda’s readiness to redeploy in Darfur. 

 "We are very much impressed with the way Rwanda has trained its troops for redeployment; part of our mission was confidence checking and to also check whether the equipment match UN standards,” he said.

House said that the troops are well led, with enough training and equipment that match the required standards.

The four battalions that underwent the training include the fifth battalion led by Lt. Col. Charles Agaba, the seventh battalion led by Lt. Col John Gasana, ninth battalion led by Lt. Col. Tom Mpaka, and the nineteenth battalion led by Lt. Col. Rugigana Ngabo.

Their mandate will mainly be protection of the internally displaced people, facilitating humanitarian missions and reporting incidents in case of ceasefire violations.

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