USAFE returns African Union troops to Rwanda

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. Elizabeth Culbertson
  • USAFE News Service
Two U.S. Air Forces in Europe C-130s returned approximately 80 African Union peacekeepers from the Darfur region of the Sudan Oct. 2.

The AU troops are the first of 200 scheduled to be redeployed by the 86th Air Expeditionary Group from Sudan to Rwanda, following approximately six months providing monitoring and protection services to the troubled area.

More than 150 Airmen from Ramstein Air Base, Germany, are participating in the airlift mission.

"We are happy to be able to assist the African Union by bringing these troops home," said Lt. Col. Jeffrey Renner, 86 AEG commander. "The AU has limited airlift capability, so we are here to help them with our aircraft and trained professionals."

The U.S. airlift is part of NATO's response to support the AU's expanded mission with logistics and training.

"The U.S. airlift is part of the larger multinational effort to improve security and create conditions in which humanitarian assistance can be more effectively provided to the people of Darfur," said Maj. Helen Newell, NATO movement control officer assigned to the AU Darfur Integrated Task Force. "This U.S. airlift is just one piece of the international and U.S. government effort to assist the victims of the humanitarian crisis."

The U.S. Air Force became involved in the African Union Missions in Sudan when NATO and the European Union agreed to answer the AU's April request for airlift assistance. U.S. European Command tasked USAFE to provide the aircraft and personnel for this operation.

In addition to returning 200 troops from the Sudan, the 86 AEG is also providing airlift to approximately 550 AU troops to the El-Fashir airstrip in the Darfur region. This is the third movement of AU protection troops by the United States in a year to the Darfur region of the Sudan.