Peace keeping forces becoming huge economic strain

The Department of Foreign Affairs has admitted that the cost of keeping troops in Darfur is increasingly stretching the budget of the SANDF. The cost of the mission has already reached about 100-million rands. Department spokesperson Jessie Duarte told Parliament that the African Union was also feeling the financial pressure of protecting the local civilian population in troubled Darfur. Duarte said the AU does not have adequate funds to continue the operation in Darfur and that donor countries were not willing to continue contributing to the cost.