Saturday, February 23, 2013

DR Congo On The Brink Of War



DR Congo 'On Brink Of Major Conflict' -- Al Jazeera

Head of UN mission in Congo says peacekeeping force is "urgently needed" to combat armed rebel groups in country's east.

Democratic Republic of Congo's resource-rich east is again on the brink of a major conflict, a senior UN official warned as he urged the UN Security Council to urgently approve plans for a peace enforcement unit to combat armed rebel groups.

Roger Meece, head of the UN mission in Congo known as MONUSCO, told the Security Council that the creation of a peace enforcement unit within the peacekeeping force - which would be a new move for the UN - was an "urgently needed and important response to the existing situation on the ground".

Peace enforcement missions allow the use of lethal force in serious combat situations, while peacekeeping operations are intended to support and monitor an already existing ceasefire, diplomats and UN officials say.

Read more
....

Update: U.N. Says Congo Again on Brink, Peacekeepers Need to Combat Rebels -- New York Times/Reuters

My Comment: This conflict has been ongoing for decades .... and it looks like it will continue for decades more.

No comments: