July 9, 2003
The United States will support Secretary-General Kofi Annan's recommendation to increase the U.N. peacekeeping force in Congo by 2,100 troops, Security Council diplomats said Wednesday. France and many African nations have backed Annan's call for a larger U.N. peacekeeping force with a more robust mandate, but the United States has been reluctant to agree. The mandate for the force was extended until the end of July to try to reach an agreement.
The council diplomats, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the United States had not yet decided on strengthening the peacekeeping mandate. The U.S. decision came as President Bush was on his first trip to Africa. Three weeks ago, U.S. Ambassador John Negroponte said Washington believes the key to restoring peace in Congo is ``the political will among the parties in the Congo and in the neighboring countries'' -- not more U.N. peacekeepers.
A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Wednesday that Washington is willing to increase troop numbers but wants to ensure they are equipped to deal with the violence in eastern Congo. Since a 1999 cease-fire, most fighting has stopped, except in the resource-rich east.
Congo's president signed a decree June 30 setting up a power-sharing administration of rebels and the current government, meant to lead the country out of nearly five years of war. Aid groups estimate some 2.5 million people have died in Congo's conflict, most from hunger and disease spread by fighting.
Annan has called for the Security Council to raise the number of peacekeepers in Congo to 10,800 from 8,700. U.N. troops are only allowed to fire in self-defense and have not intervened to stop ongoing violence. On May 30, the council authorized the separate deployment of a French-led emergency force to the town of Bunia in northeastern Congo to protect refugees, aid workers and the airport. The 1,500-strong force, which will remain in Bunia until Sept. 1, can shoot to kill to defend civilians but does not have a mandate to disarm tribal fighters.
Annan called for a 3,800-strong U.N. peacekeeping force to replace the French-led force in Bunia and surrounding Ituri province. But he said the main focus of the U.N. force should shift from trying to promote an end to the conflict toward helping establish the transitional government.
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