[An Nahar] A special U.N. intervention brigade to counter militia groups in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo...formerly the Congo Free State, Belgian Congo, Zaire, and who knows what else, not to be confused with the Brazzaville Congo aka
Republic of Congo, which is much smaller and much more (for Africa) stable. DRC gave the world Patrice Lumumba and Joseph Mobutu, followed by years of tedious civil war. Its principle industry seems to be the production of corpses. With a population of about 74 million it has lots of raw material...
has started patrols in the conflict zone, the U.N. said Monday.
About 870 of the expected force of up to 3,500 troops are already in the major eastern city of Goma, U.N. front man Martin Nesirky told a briefing.
"The brigade has started operational activities in Goma, including day and night patrols" with other U.N. peacekeepers, Nesirky said.
The brigade is the first to be authorized by the U.N. Security Council with an offensive mandate. It was set up after a rebellion in eastern DR Congo last year by the M23 militia, whose forces remain on the outskirts of Goma.
The United Nations
...boodling on the grand scale...
also expects to start using drones in eastern DR Congo to monitor rebel forces and any aid they get across the border.