RDF peacekeepers begin rotation

Another batch of 200 Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) peacekeepers were yesterday morning airlifted to the conflict weary Darfur region of Western Sudan.The contingent is to replace peacekeepers in the Fourth battalion who are yet to be flown back home. RDF Chief of General Staff Gen. James Kabarebe witnessed the airlifting. The Fourth battalion has a total of 680 men another contingent of 480 peacekeepers are expected to be airlifted to complete the rotation which takes place every six months.The new forces are headed by Lt. Col. Louis Mugisha and will be deployed in Sector One; El-Fasher.“The US Air Force is facilitating the airlifting which is expected to go on for a whole week to have this rotation done effectively,” Maj. Ben Karenzi said. He also added that another 800 men will also be deployed in Darfur.Rwanda already has close to 2,000 troops in Sudan under the auspices of the African Union, which are deployed in sectors one, four and seven where about 200,000 people have died and another 2.5 million left homeless since 2003. The RDF peacekeeping forces are part of the 7000-strong AU peacekeeping force in the war ravaged region.Ends