The German parliament unanimously agreed on Friday to provide up to 200 troops to help transport African Union (AU) soldiers into the war-torn Sudanese region of Darfur.
However, German soldiers will not be based in Darfur, Junior Defence Minister Walter Kolbow told the Bundestag lower house of parliament.
Germany will use two of its military transport planes to fly Tanzanian African Union troops into Darfur from Tanzania and a third plane will be put on standby.
The AU decided last month to widen its mission in Darfur by sending 3 300 observers. Around 760 troops from Rwanda and Nigeria are already in the region, having been transported by France and the United States.
The international community must not allow ”a genocide in slow motion” to take place in Darfur, Development Minister Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul told parliament.
Women in Darfur were being raped ”on a systematic basis”, she added.
Germany has set aside â,¬2,25-million for aid for Darfur out of the European Union total of â,¬92-million.
The crisis in Darfur began in earnest in February 2003 when rebels launched an insurrection to protest against what they allege is the political and economic marginalisation of black Africans by the Arab-led government.
Since then, more than 70,000 people have been killed or have died from hunger and disease in the area and another 1,5 million have been displaced, according to the United Nations. – Sapa-AFP