UN Mission replaces sections of South African peacekeepers

The UN Mission in Burundi, known as ONUB, has replaced its South African headquarter company and military police with Kenyan troops, the mission's military spokesman, Maj Adama Diop, told IRIN on Monday.

"This is not a replacement of the whole South African contingent in the mission," he said. "It is a normal rotational procedure."

The replacement involves 80 troops of the headquarter company and 92 military police. The rest of the South African contingent, comprising one battalion of 770 troops and others such as the maritime and aviation units, remains in ONUB.

Diop said the total strength of the South African contingent was 1,045, while the Kenyans now numbered 987: one battalion of 815 soldiers, 80 for the headquarter company and 92 military police.

"The replacement is complete and the replaced troops are now in their base awaiting departure for South Africa," he said.

The South Africans had been in the country serving in the African Union-mandated African Mission in Burundi before ONUB took over. Other countries contributing troops to ONUB are Nepal, Pakistan, Mali and Mozambique. Diop said the mission also had units of the army medical corps’ of Jordan and Pakistan.

The authorised strength of ONUB is 5,650, but so far, 5,472 troops are in Burundi. Diop said the remaining troops would come from Nepal, but did not indicate when they would arrive. He added that ONUB also expected an additional 17 military observers from several troop-contributing countries.