Global Policy Forum

By Barbara Crossette

Hoping to seize the opportunity provided by the change in leadership in Congo, the United Nations peacekeeping department is working out a plan to send fewer troops there than originally planned, but to send them sooner, the head of the department said today.

The plan is to go to the Security Council this week.

Jean-Marie Guéhenno, a French military expert who became under secretary general for peacekeeping in October, said at a news conference today that there was an unexpected opening, with a burst of diplomatic activity since the killing of President Laurent Kabila on Jan. 16 and the subsequent choice of his son Joseph as successor.

"On the field, we have seen that there have been no significant violations of the cease-fire for more than three weeks," Mr. Guéhenno said, calling the lull "the longest period of calm since the signing of the Lusaka cease-fire agreement in the summer of 1999."

"We felt that we had to exploit that window of opportunity," he added.

As outlined by Mr. Guéhenno, formerly chairman of the Institute of Advanced Studies on National Defense in France, the new Congo peacekeeping plan would reduce the total number of troops and military observers to about 3,000, from the 5,537 authorized last year by the Security Council.

The cuts would be mainly in troops, whose role would be limited to protecting 550 military observers based in Kisangani, Kalemie, Kananga and Mbandaka. The observers would monitor the pullback that various factions and foreign armies agreed to in December.

"We want to reduce the risk of clashes between them and to position them for an eventual full withdrawal," Mr. Guéhenno said.

He said monitors already in Congo had faced few problems so far. Also, because much of their logistical support could be provided by about 400 troops using rivers (in a country largely without roads and railways), the number of soldiers assigned to protect them could be reduced to about 2,000.

When they could be sent, however, remains an open question, because the warring sides have not yet pulled back to agreed positions. "It's too early to tell you that the lights are all green," Mr. Guéhenno said.

On Feb. 21 the Security Council is to open a two-day summit meeting on Congo with government leaders from the region.