Austrian peacekeepers head to Chad

A contingent of about 50 Austrian troops headed to Chad early Tuesday to take part in a European Union peacekeeping mission, the Defense Ministry said.

They will join some 20 to 25 Austrian soldiers already in the central African country, and the number is to rise to a total of 160 by the end of March, said ministry spokesman Maj. Wolfgang Schneider. Tuesday's contingent will mainly build accommodation for Austrian troops but it also includes medics.

The delayed EU mission, which will eventually number 3,700 troops, is designed to protect refugees from Sudan's Darfur region and others caught up in turmoil along Sudan's borders with Chad and the Central African Republic.

The deployment of the peacekeeping troops, known as EUFOR, was held up by rebel attacks on Chad's capital earlier this month.

Austrian Defense Minister Norbert Darabos said the deployment was more important than ever. "The refugees and aid organizations urgently need military protection," Darabos said in a statement.