NATO starts airlifting African Union troops to Darfur

NATO has launched its airlift operations insupport of the the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS), with thefirst movement of Nigerian troops on 1 July. Airlifts of personnel fromGambia, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal and South Africa will continuethrough July, August and September.

Coordination isworking well between the African Union's Joint Forward Based MovementCell in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, NATO's Allied Movement CoordinationCentre in Europe and the European Airlift Centre.

Later in the summer, NATO will help to organise a map exercise forAfrican Union troops. The MAPEX will help AU personnel to understandand operate effectively in the theatre of operations, as well as buildtheir capacity to manage strategic operations.

Towards the end of August, staff capacity-building activities are dueto start in Nairobi, Kenya. NATO will help to train AU personnel in keyheadquarters functions such as command and contol, logistics andplanning.

Eight NATO personnel havebeen deployed to help coordinate NATO's airlift support -- seven toAddis Ababa and one to Nigeria, who will later move to other locationsbased on the airlift schedule. Sixteen personnel will be deployed toconduct the map exercise and another eight to organise the staffcapability-building.

NATO agreed on 8 June to helpthe African Union expand its mission in Darfur , following a requestfrom the African Union. NATO's support is being closely coordinatedwith the African Union and with other international actors,particularly the European Union and the United Nations.