4 August 2009 -- An initial batch of troops of the first ever Burkina Faso infantry battalion in the African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), consisting of 134 soldiers, arrived today in Nyala, South Darfur to join the Mission. A further 133 personnel are scheduled to arrive in Nyala on Tuesday 11 August 2009. This advance party of the battalion will be deployed in El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur, and in Foro Baranga, just over 300 kilometres from El Geneina. The remaining members are scheduled to arrive in the Mission by mid-September. When fully deployed they will number more than 800 soldiers.

The advance party will be tasked with assisting in the expansion of Foro Baranga camp in preparation for the arrival of the main body of the unit and with coordinating the logistics of the contingent’s equipment.

Burkina Faso’s current contribution to UNAMID includes military observers, staff officers and one liaison officer.

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1769 (2007) authorized the deployment to UNAMID of up to 19,555 military personnel, including 360 military observers and liaison officers and up to 3,772 police personnel and 19 formed police units comprising up to 140 personnel each. With the arrival of these first troops from Burkina Faso today, the total number of military forces deployed in Darfur is 13,651 representing almost 70 per cent of the authorized number. Further troops are expected from Ethiopia, Tanzania and Egypt respectively later this month.