KIGALI - The first contingent of 50 Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) UN-AU strong hybrid peacekeepers was yesterday airlifted to conflict-torn Darfur region of Sudan.

The heavily equipped troops are part of the UN-African Union joint mission in Darfur that forms the United Nations African Mission in Darfur (UNAMID).

The Army Spokesman Maj. Jill Rutaremara said that the newly deployed troops will boost the already deployed AU peacekeepers in Darfur that are yet to be upgraded to UNAMID force.

Yesterday, 50 RDF peacekeepers and 3 Armed Personnel Carriers (APCs) were airlifted to Darfur.

Rutaremara said another 750 troops and 15 APCs will soon be airlifted to Darfur under UNAMID.

He said that the 18 APCs (painted in white with a UN emblem) belong to Rwanda and would be returned after the mission.

The Minister of Defence, Gen. Marcel Gatsinzi, Chief of General Staff Gen. James Kabarebe, Acting and Deputy US Ambassador to Rwanda, Cheryl Sim, Acting Chinese Ambassador to Rwanda Xin Ming Wang and the South African Ambassador to Rwanda, Ezra Sigwela, witnessed the troops’ send-off at Kigali International Airport.

The visiting Liberian delegation led by Deputy Minister of Defence Dionysius Sebwe, Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Suraj Abdurrahman and the Counselor of the Ministry of Defence Wiefued Sayeh also witnessed the depature.

Before the peacekeepers’ send-off, officials patrolled the US aircrafts AMC Charleston 50102 and AMC Charleston 60006 and supervised the loading of the APCs to the aircrafts.

The UNAMID heavily equipped troops will be deployed in Sector One, El Fasher in Darfur.

However, the mandate of Rwanda’s first UN deployment has not been decided yet but Rutaremara said it will be declared by the end of January 2008 after the final deployment.

2 Rwandan peacekeepers die
Meanwhile, two RDF peacekeepers in Darfur died in a car accident yesterday.

Rutaremara confirmed the deaths last evening but didn’t disclose the identities of the dead. 

"We’re still holding the names of the deceased. We’ll give you their names after we have informed their next-of-kin,” he said.

"RDF is saddened by the death of its two soldiers and we are sending condolences to the families of the late,” Rutaremara added .

The accident happened at Twahilla Group Site of Sector One in El-Fasher, Darfur.

Six other RDF peacekeepers sustained minor injuries in the accident and were rushed to El-Fashir Hospital, AMIS Force Headquarters.

He said the vehicle in which the peacekeepers were traveling in overturned near their military base as they returned from fetching water.

"The deceased are part of the newly deployed African Union peacekeepers from our 51st battalion that replaced the first battalion during the-just concluded rotation,” Rutaremara said.

The bodies of the deceased are in El-Fasher Hospital mortuary as arrangements to have them flown back home are finalised, he said.

Yesterday’s deaths raise the number of Rwandan peacekeepers who have so far died in Darfur to eight since 2004 when the deployment began.

Ends