BERLIN, 12 August 2007 — Germany is prepared to widen its contribution to peacekeeping efforts in Sudan’s Darfur region, Development Minister Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul was quoted as saying yesterday. Air transport support currently provided by the German armed forces should “be expanded if necessary,” the Sueddeutsche Zeitung quoted the minister as saying.
Chancellor Angela Merkel’s ruling coalition of her conservatives and the Social Democrats (SPD) had previously expressed skepticism about expanding Germany’s role in Darfur.
Germany’s armed forces have a mandate which lasts until mid-December to deploy as many as 200 personnel to help African Union troops with logistics and transport in western Sudan.
The UN Security Council last month authorized up to 26,000 troops and police for Darfur and approved the use of force to protect civilians against violence which has driven more than 2 million people from their homes over the past four years.
Infantry soldiers will be drawn mainly from African nations if enough can be recruited. The mission will incorporate the under-equipped and under-financed 7,000 AU troops already in Darfur.
Meanwhile, Malawi defense minister said that his country will deploy 800 troops to Darfur to serve in the future United Nations-African Union peacekeeping force.
“Malawi will be sending a battalion as soon as possible to Darfur following the UN resolution to set up a peacekeeping force,” Bob Khamisa said.
Khamisa said the country had already notified both the African Union and the United Nations of its decision to deploy the troops, which was approved by President Bingu wa Mutharika, commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
Malawi, whose troops are trained by the British in peacekeeping tactics, has sent a battalion to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and peace observers, including police officers, in Kosovo, Rwanda and Darfur itself.
“The president encourages us to get involved in these missions and our response has always been swift,” Khamisa said.
According to conservative estimates, Malawi has about 10,000 troops and a police force of 6,500.
The conflict in Sudan’s western region of Darfur has caused some 200,000 deaths and led to more than two million people being displaced since it began four years ago, according to UN estimates, which the Sudan government disputes.
