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| UNSC increases number of peacekeepers in Congo |
| Press Trust of India / United Nations Nov 21, 2008, 13:20 IST |
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The Security Council has authorised a temporary increase of over 3,000 peacekeepers for the United Nations' peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo to deal with the conflict in the country's east which has displaced an estimated 250,000 civilians in recent months.
The additional 2,785 troops and 300 police officers will buttress the 17,000 uniformed personnel already serving with the mission, known as MONUC, the largest UN force worldwide assigned to quell the unrest and protect civilians in one of Africa's largest countries.
The aid groups, which have been finding it difficult to reach the needy, promptly welcomed the move but it is yet unclear from which countries the world body would be able to get troops.
A UN spokesperson declined to name the countries with which the UN is negotiating but said announcement would made once the agreement is reached.
The United Nations has been demanding increase in the forces, saying that peacekeepers are stretched to the maximum and even though the number 17,000 appears large, it is insufficient to control a country.
The Council members voted unanimously yesterday for a resolution authorising the additional number of forces following a request from Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon who, along with other senior UN officials, has said that existing troops in MONUC are inadequate to deal with the scale of the fighting and unrest.
The resolution authorises the extra troops and police officers until December 31.
Though, the duration of the stay depends on the security situation in DRC's North Kivu and South Kivu provinces.
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