Africa Union Approves 5,000-Strong Peacekeeper Force for Burundi
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The African Union approved the deployment of as many as 5,000 peacekeepers to Burundi to halt violence spurred by President Pierre Nkurunziza’s re-election that has left more than 400 people dead.
The AU asked member states to begin contributing troops and resources, and the United Nations Security Council to lend its support, according to an e-mailed statement from the pan-African group’s Peace and Security Council. It said Burundi’s government should confirm within four days that it accepts the deployment, and warned that Burundian officials who don’t cooperate may face sanctions.