AU promises to pay SA troops in Darfur
The South African peacekeepers in Darfur who were threatening to pull out over non-payment have been temporarily placated.
A delegation sent from El Fasher camp to the Sudan’s capital city, Khartoum, returned yesterday with the good tidings.
SA Police Service members based in the western region of the war-torn country were told that the African Union (AU) would settle their allowances for September with immediate effect.
The peacekeepers embarked on a sit-in on Sunday and refused to participate in parades unless they had been paid. The AU, which is supposed to pick up the tab for troops sent on their peacekeeping missions, had not paid the soldiers’ allowances for three months.
A source said the AU had made a commitment to immediately pay the allowances for September and undertook to settle the outstanding monies by the end of the month.
“The people were getting fed-up. They want to go home for Christmas,” the source said.
The AU mission in Sudan, which started in 2004 with 150 troops, has buckled under financial strain after the force was increased to 7 000.
Its mandate expired in September, but the Darfur Peace Agreement Joint Commission urged it to continue until at least the end of next month.
South Africa has 398 SANDF and 126 SAPS members in Darfur.
The mission in the Sudan is the first AU peacekeeping effort and is sponsored by member countries and international donors.
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21 Novembre 2006 à 18:56 dans
- zsandf (anglais)
