U.S. to assist Burundian Army for deployment of armoured troops in Central African Republic 1512133

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U.S. Marines to assist the Burundian National Defense Forces

 
Sunday, December 15, 2013 01:03 PM
 
U.S. to assist Burundian Army for deployment of armoured and troops in Central African Republic.
Burundian National Defense Forces (BNDF) and the U.S. Marines with Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Africa 13 worked together Dec. 10 as the African partners prepared to embark to the Central Africa Republic as part of the African Union mission.
     
Burundian National Defense Forces (BNDF) and the U.S. Marines with Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Africa 13 worked together Dec. 10 as the African partners prepared to embark to the Central Africa Republic as part of the African Union mission.
The BNDF and Marines worked together to palletize equipment, stage supplies and assist in the final preparations as the soldiers embarked for their Central African Republic mission as part of the African Union force in Bujumbura, Burundi, Dec. 10-11.
     

On Dec. 9, the U.S. government authorized U.S. aircraft to assist the Burundian National Defense Forces with their deployment to Bangui, Central Africa Republic (CAR), according to a Department of State press release. The Marines have been in Burundi since October, taking part in military-to-military engagements focused on varied skills and knowledge including combat marksmanship, first-aid, basic infantry skills and engineering skills.

This event highlights Burundi’s contribution to regional peacekeeping as Burundi has now deployed in an expeditionary role to two of Africa’s most urgent humanitarian crises (Somalia and CAR).

Burundi’s ability to deploy highly trained soldiers is the result of the 7-year military-to-military partnership between the U.S. and Burundi and reflects the long term training assistance provided by the Africa Contingency Operations Training & Assistance program. ACOTA is a State Department program that enhances the capacities and capabilities of its African Partner Countries, regional institutions, and the continent’s peacekeeping resources as a whole so that they can plan for, train, deploy, and sustain sufficient quantities of professionally competent peacekeepers to meet conflict transformation requirements with minimal non-African assistance. Marines and Burundian soldiers have been partnered since 2012, working together through theater security cooperation engagements that bolster partnerships and military capacity for both forces.

The Marines will continue to logistically assist the 850-man Burundian force as part of the U.S. Africa Command directed support to the French and AU mission that is providing humanitarian assistance and establishing an environment that supports a political transition to a democratically elected government.

     
Burundian National Defense Forces (BNDF) and the U.S. Marines with Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Africa 13 worked together Dec. 10 as the African partners prepared to embark to the Central Africa Republic as part of the African Union mission.
Burundian National Defense Forces, U.S. Army Africa and the U.S. Marines with Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Africa 13 worked together Dec. 10 as the African partners prepared to embark to the Central African Republic as part of the African Union mission.