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Troops Join French

New Vision (Kampala)
NEWS
June 26, 2003
Posted to the web June 26, 2003

By Anne Mugisa
Kampala
South-African troops arrived in Uganda on Tuesday night to join the French-led
multi-national force in Bunia in Ituri province in the DR Congo.
The 22 soldiers from the South African airforce arrived at 8:00pm at Entebbe
Airbase, aboard two South African military transport helicopters.
Capt. Frederic Solano, the coalition forces spokesman, said the South African
soldiers were helicopter rescue specialists.
About 150 British troops are expected to join the French-led coalition next
week.
Some 300 German troops are also expected in two weeks time.
Up to 1,500 foreign troops had by yesterday arrived in Uganda since the
emergency force started operations to stem blood-letting in Bunia early this
month.
Capt. Solano said many more countries have decided to join the coalition, but
that he does not know the numbers yet.
Of these, 700 mainly French soldiers, have already been deployed in Bunia,
according to Solano. The remaining 722 soldiers are at Entebbe airbase.
About 14,000 internally displaced persons are in two camps in Bunia under the
UN protection.
Solano said they were happy with the situation and that there had not been any
serious incidents reported lately.
He said the peace agreement for the moment seemed to be okay.
"We are going step by step," Capt. Solano said by telephone. He said the people
were co-operating with the forces.
He said they would not hesitate to use force if the armed belligerents paused a
problem in Bunia.
"We are allowed to use force if necessary and we will use it," he said.
"Our main task is to secure peace for the population. Their security is the
major task," he said.

   

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