Mandate of UN mission in DR of Congo expanded, troops added

The Security Council today expanded the mandate United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) and authorized an increase in its troop strength, but stopped short of raising levels to what Secretary-General Kofi Annan said would be needed in the war-torn central African country.

Speaking after the Council unanimously adopted a resolution on the increase, the Secretary-General said the move would "contribute to improving the Mission's operational capabilities which are severely under-resourced at the moment."

But he also warned that "the newly approved ceiling of 16,700 in total falls well below the figure of 23,900 troops and 507 civilian police personnel that I had recommended" in the latest report on MONUC.

In order to adapt the new reality to the report's recommendations - which he pointed out "were made on different assumptions" - the Secretary-General asked officials in the UN's peacekeeping department to revise the Mission's concept of operations accordingly.

Mr. Annan stressed his view that the military and police strength he recommended "is the minimum required to effectively meet the current challenges" in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and voiced hope that the Council would "favourably revisit the issue of MONUC's requirements in the future."

The Secretary-General's comments today were consistent with the position he put forward in a letter to the Council on 7 September voicing extreme concern about the volatile conditions in the DRC.

In late May and early June, the brief seizure of the important eastern town of Bukavu by ethnic Tutsi, or Banyamulenge, military dissidents, led by Gen. Laurent Nkunda and Col. Jules Mutebusi, spread violence to other parts of the eastern region, especially the Kivus.

Tens of thousands fled their homes during clashes in July between central government forces and dissident troops around Lake Kivu.

That same month, scores of people died during fighting in Ituri Province between the Front des Nationalistes et Intégrationnistes (FNI) and the Forces Armées du Peuple Congolais (FAPC).

The regional implications of these clashes were underscored in mid-August when some 160 Banyamulenge were massacred at a refugee camp in Burundi - an atrocity Mr. Annan pointed to in his letter to Council members. "The possibility of a further deterioration cannot be ruled out, given the speed with which events are unfolding," he warned, calling for urgent reinforcements to MONUC while urging support for the long-term proposals seeking to double the overall troop strength.

By its resolution today, the Council extended the Mission's mandate through March 2005, and gave it a series of new responsibilities, including ensuring the protection of civilians "under imminent threat of violence."

The resolution also called on MONUC to inspect - without notice if necessary - aircraft cargo and other traffic in North and South Kivu and Ituri in fulfilment of the ban on arms trading in the area. It also mandated MONUC to collect and dispose of arms and materiel that is found in the DRC in violation of international sanctions. The Mission will have to observe and report on troop movements and the presence of foreign forces in military hotspots.

The Council also laid out a series of tasks for MONUC to carry out in support of the DRC Government of National Unity and Transition, including contributing to an improvement in security conditions and assisting in the promotion and protection of human rights.

Member States, the international community and donors were called on to support the transition process and were encouraged to provide assistance to the Government. Those with influence were particularly encouraged to apply political and economic pressure to ensure that the neighbouring countries are taking steps to cease all support to armed groups in the DRC.