Troops for Africa

2005-03-22 14:59

Addis Ababa - The African Union intends to have a standing 15 000-troop peacekeeping force in place next year to deal with major crises, according to plans released on Tuesday.

The African Standby Force will be made up of soldiers from across Africa and will offer military expertise to political interventions and military observer missions, a report released at AU headquarters said.

A more robust rapid reaction force, ready to deploy within 14 days, will be in place by 2010 to prevent genocide in Africa if the international community fails to step in, the report added.

The report was presented to experts at the start of a two-day meeting that will draw up common guidelines across the continent for the force. The experts are expected to endorse a "road map" to creating the force and draw up plans to improve cooperation between the five regions of the continent.

The AU will be presenting its plans to the powerful Group of Eight wealthy countries in April and try to secure funding for it. British Prime Minister Tony Blair has made Africa a main focus of his G8 chairmanship this year, and a commission he chaired recently called on the developed world to pay half the AU's peacekeeping costs.

AU Peace and Security Commissioner Said Djinnit said it was critical that Africa addressed its own conflicts by "harmonising" its peacekeeping forces.

"We need to agree on a road map for an African Standby Force," he said. "It is extremely important we all move forward in the same direction."

The five peacekeeping brigades, which will total around 3 000 men each, are expected to comprise light infantry, helicopters, observers, engineers, logisticians, military police and medical staff, the report said. An AU police force will also work with the peacekeepers for more difficult missions.

The standard peacekeeping brigade, whose troops will be based in their own countries, would be deployed within 30 days of orders from the AU's Peace and Security Council.

- AP