THANIDA TANSUBHAPOL
Thailand will send troops to join the United Nations-backed peacekeeping force in Darfur early next year, a senior Foreign Ministry official said.
Permanent secretary for foreign affairs Virasakdi Futrakul said the Thai commitment for a battalion was made in a telephone conversation last Monday between UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat.
The UN chief admitted that the peacekeeping force Unamid was very stretched and the situation in the western region of Sudan was deteriorating due to escalating attacks on UN and international officials.
He also called for the contribution of forces and equipment from Nepal and Ukraine.
Late last year the army prepared 800 soldiers to join the UN efforts to restore peace in Sudan but the plan was put on hold. They were trained in Thailand and were ready to go to Darfur.
The decision to put the plan on hold came after Sudan President Omar al-Beshir objected to UN plans to include soldiers from Nepal, Thailand and Scandinavian countries in the peacekeeping force for Darfur.
Unamid has so far deployed about 10,000 of the 26,000 personnel planned for the peacekeeping operation.
Fighting between Sudanese government forces and rebels broke out in 2003 as the insurgents pressed for a greater say in administering the country and its wealth.
About 300,000 Sudanese have been killed so far in the conflict and 2.5 million people have been forced out of their homes.
Prev
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
Next
