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East/Subsaharan Africa
U.N. Extends Congo Peacekeeping Mission
2003-06-27
UNITED NATIONS - Saying it was ``deeply concerned'' about fighting in Congo, the Security Council on Thursday extended the U.N. peacekeeping force in the central African nation through the end of July while council diplomats consider a proposal to make the force even stronger.
Saying it was "deeply concerned" about the credibility of the UN, Rantburg giggled most of the day while Fred considered a proposal to make the back end of the server even better.
The resolution, which was adopted unanimously by the 15-nation council, renewed the mandate for a month, noting a recommendation by Secretary-General Kofi Annan to prolong the mission for a year and to increase the number of troops from 8,700 to 10,800.
"Look! Dessert!"
``Some members of the council said that they would prefer to study the recommendations in more depth and everybody agreed that this time should be given,'' Russia's U.N. Ambassador Sergey Lavrov, whose country holds the rotating council presidency, told reporters.
Doesn't thatjust sound like a UN diplomat?
France and many African nations are backing Annan's call for a larger U.N. peacekeeping force with a more robust mandate, but the United States appears reluctant to agree. Annan has asked the Security Council to increase the U.N. force from 8,700 to 10,800, to focus mainly on ending unrest in Bunia and the surrounding Ituri province. He also asked for a stronger mandate.
I think asking for ammunition would be more to the point...
On May 30, the council authorized the separate deployment of a French-led emergency force to Bunia to protect refugees and aid workers. The force, which will have 1,500 troops when fully manned, can use its weapons to defend civilians, but its mandate lasts only until Sept. 1, when a U.N. contingent from Bangladesh is supposed to be deployed in the town.
They'll be allowed to defend civilians, but not using weapons. They're recruiting people who're very good at hollering even as we speak blog...
During fighting in Congo Thursday, three people were abducted by tribal fighters in Bunia hours after rival militants withdrew from the town under orders from the French-led force.
Either this is a challenge to the French or the snatchers were pretty hungry.
The unidentified people were taken late Wednesday by fighters from the Lendu tribe who sneaked into Bunia as rival Hema tribal fighters were withdrawing, said residents. The victims were all Hema, the residents said. The Hema, who had controlled Bunia, were ordered to withdraw or be disarmed by the force. At least 500 people were killed in the clashes and tens of thousands were forced to flee.
So nobody's going to be particularly concerned over three people who're probably being digested at this moment...
The mandate of the U.N. troops, which had been due to expire on June 30, only allows them to fire in self-defense. They have not attempted to stem the violence between rival factions of the Hema and Lendu tribes that has killed more than 500 people in and around the northeastern town of Bunia since the beginning of May.
Brilliant plan, Kofi, send a regiment that isn't allowed to do anything.
The resolution adopted Thursday also singled out fighting in the eastern province of North Kivu. Rebels from the Rwandan-backed Congolese Rally for Democracy captured a key town in the province last week, hours before signing a cease-fire. The council called on ``all the parties in the area for an immediate and unconditional cessation of hostilities and complete withdrawal up to the previously agreed positions,'' Lavrov told reporters.
Excellent job, Kofi, once again showing us how useful the UN is.
Posted by:Steve White

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