African peace keeping gets 250 million euro injection
ANDREW BEATTY
31.10.2003 @ 17:42 CET
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - The EU is to provide financial assistance to African countries to conduct their own peace-keeping operations.
On Thursday (30 October) it announced that 250 million euro would be made available for such operations.
The move follows calls from the African Union (AU) for help with funding for security challenges.
The proposal - which has to be approved by the EU's members - will bankroll logistical operations such as moving troops, but will not go to paying soldiers' salaries or for buying arms.
The Commission said it hoped the move would help "African people to deal with African conflicts".
Officials said it is not yet clear if the money will go to only the AU or if it will be available for other country blocks such as ECOWAS - a group of west African states.
The funds will come from unspent portions of the aid budget and 1.5 percent of each African countries funding.
