Per an appeal by the African Union the South African cabinet has consented to the deployment of 1,100 of its own troops to contribute to the continued efforts of the AU to secure peace in the troubled nation of Burundi. Further, an article from http://www.news24.com/ states that the move is "part of South Africa's commitment to contribute to socio-economic and political stability on the continent" according to Themba Maseko (pictured right, sorry for the poor quality), Chief Executive Officer of the Government Communication and Information System.
Essentially, the South African government maintains that their actions in sending troops to Burundi is to guarantee that advances made in that country in terms of "peace and stability" are safeguarded. However, this decision has not come without criticism, specifically from those who have charged that South Africa is being unfair in sending troops to Burundi but not to Somalia. To these charges Maseko answered that the cabinet's decision is consistent with South Africa's presence in Burundi for "quite some time."
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