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The Netherlands provides US $ 3.6 million for defence forces

[South Africa] South African Soldiers. Pretoria News
The SADC brigade is expected to be ready by the end of this year
    NAIROBI

    The Netherlands government has agreed to grant at least 40 million rand (US $3.6 million) to support the 701 South African troops in Burundi, news organisations reported on Wednesday.

    South Africa's secretary of defence, January Masilela, and The Netherlands ambassador to South Africa, Laetitia van den Assum, signed the agreements on Tuesday in Pretoria, the capital. The South African news agency, SAPA, quoted Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota as say Belgium, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and the US have also promised financial aid for his troops.

    South African President Thabo Mbeki told parliament recently that it would cost about 1.5 billion rand ($134.5 million) per year to deploy the troops, for which donor funds had been negotiated. Eventually, South Africa plans to deploy 1,431 troops - as part of a multinational peacekeeping force, SAPA reported. Ghana, Senegal and Nigeria are considering contributions to this effort.

    South African troops were deployed to Bujumbura in October to protect returning exiled Burundian politicians who are taking part in a three-year power-sharing government that was installed on 1 November.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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