TZ sending troops to South Sudan

Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Bernard Membe.PHOTO|FILE

Dar es Salaam.Tanzania will send a contingent of one battalion to the troubled South Sudan to be part of a UN peacekeeping mission. This becomes yet another addition to the country’s contribution to world peace under the auspices of the UN, for it also has troops keeping peace in Darfur in Sudan, DR Congo and Lebanon.

Speaking to reporters in Dar es Salaam yesterday, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Bernard Membe said the government is sending troops in response to a request from United Nations secretary general.

He said the Tanzania Peoples’ Defence Forces (TPDF) troops will be off to Juba at the end of April. “Our country is dedicated to bringing peace and harmony in the continent and beyond, so we are gladly sending one battalion to restore peace as per the UN’s request,” said the minister. Meanwhile, the government yesterday made clear that it has no any conflict with Rwanda, but blamed the media for creating unnecessary tension among the two members of the East African Community.