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Fore
ign Affairs Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma was expected to
arrive in Bujumbura, Burundi, yesterday to attend the "Ceremony of
the Transfer of Forces for Peacekeeping in Burundi", her department
said in a statement.
The ceremony marked the official transfer of the peacekeeping
mandate in Burundi from the African Union to the United
Nations.
The AU mandated the deployment of the African Mission in Burundi
(Amib) on April 2, 2003 for an initial period of one year.
The mandate was extended for an additional two months, to allow the
UN the opportunity to arrange for the establishment of a UN peace
mission.
On May 21, the UN Security Council (UNSC) unanimously adopted
resolution 1545 (2004) to create a UN Operation in Burundi (Onub),
as from June 1.
UN deputy emergency relief coordinator Carolyn McAskie, of Canada,
had been appointed as UN secretary general Kofi Annan's special
representative and chief of mission.
SA National Defence Force Major-General D Mgwebi, the commander of
Amib, had been identified as the force commander for the
Onub.
Mgwebi was the first ever South African to be appointed as a force
commander of a UN peace mission, the department said.
Onub would operate under a Chapter VII mandate and troops would be
deployed for a period of six months from June 1, "with the
intention to renew the mandate for further periods".
Onub was tasked with a variety of issues, including disarmament,
demobilisation and reintegration (DDR), electoral assistance (which
should take place before October 31, 2004), and facilitation of the
voluntary return of refugees and internally displaced
persons.
Onub would have a mandated troop composition of 5 650, including
200 observers, 125 staff officers and 120 civilian police.
Countries that had indicated their willingness to send troops to
Onub were South Africa, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Pakistan, and Nepal,
the department said. - Sapa