The AU Mission in Burundi: Technical and Operational Dimensions

The Central Organ of the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution mandated the deployment of the African Mission in Burundi (AMIB) on 2 April 2003. The mission, intended for an initial period of one year and subject to renewal by the Central Organ, depends on the subsequent deployment of a United Nations (UN) peacekeeping force to be mandated by the UN Security Council as envisaged in the agreement. South Africa, Ethiopia and Mozambique are expected to contribute troops to the AMIB force. The AU mandate outlines the force levels, the mission statement, the mandate tasks, concept of operations, logistic support and command and control structures. This mandate was largely based on the preliminary outline provided by the Military–Strategic Technical Planning Team (MSTPT) during January 2003. The outputs were used to brief the Ministers of Defence of South Africa, Ethiopia and Mozambique, as well as all signatories to the ceasefire agreement, with the exception of the CNDD-FDD of Nkurunziza.