Germany to deploy troops to Congo to support UN peacekeepers

Germany to deploy troops to Congo to support UN peacekeepers

Germany will contribute 500 soldiers to the EU force, as well as 280 support troops for medical and logistical tasks, according to the plan. The total size of the EU force is expected to be about 1,700.

France is expected to send 500 troops, and another 16 of the 25 European Union members have agreed to contribute in some way, Defense Minister Franz Josef Jung has said.

The Congo mission is slated to begin July 30, the day the central African country's elections are scheduled to start, and last four months. Much of the EU force will be on standby in nearby Gabon, the AP reports.

The elections for president and the national assembly will be Congo's first in 40 years. The violence-plagued nation has delayed the vote repeatedly for logistical reasons.