Foreign 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