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EU Says Congo Force Cannot Intervene Beyond Bunia
BRUSSELS - The French commander of a European Union peacekeeping operation in Congo conceded on Friday that the force would not be able to stop ethnic bloodshed if it happened outside its limited area of operation. Responding to an appeal from the United Nations, the EU will deploy a force of around 1,400 to the eastern town of Bunia — where hundreds of people have been massacred in tribal clashes — in what will be its first military operation outside Europe. Analysts say that one of the main risks is that ethnic violence may simply shift to other areas, leaving the EU peacekeeping operation looking irrelevant.NO! Say it ain't so, Jacques! When asked if the EU force would be able to intervene and stop massacres happening outside Bunia, French General Bruno Neveux, the operation commander of the force, said action outside the town was not part of the EU's mission. "At this point in time, that is not within our mandate, the mission which has been set for us. (The mission)...is clearly confined to Bunia city and airport and the two refugee camps near the airport," he told reporters. But Neveux also said he believed the security provided by the presence of an EU force, despite its limited mandate, would spread to other areas. Why do I hear Roy Orbison in the background singing "In Dreams"? "The security which we can ensure in this city, we believe this will have a wider effect in other parts of the country," he said. Neveux added that plans for air surveillance of areas with fighting outside Bunia would have a clear deterrent effect on the fighting between Lendu and Hema tribes. France, which dispatched its first troops to the region last week, will provide the bulk of the force with about 900 soldiers, with contributions from several other EU and non-EU states, including Britain, Sweden, Canada and South Africa. Codenamed Artemis, the EU mission is empowered to use force if needed to protect civilians. It is due to end on September 1, when a reinforced U.N. peacekeeping mission is set to take over. Posted by: Frank G 2003-06-13 |
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