The UN Security Council on Friday unanimously approved a French-led international force of 1,400 troops to the Congo's northeastern province of Ituri, where, the UN has estimated, at least 415 civilians have been killed in the last two weeks and 60,000 have been killed since 1999.
A contingent of slightly more than 700 lightly armed Uruguayan peacekeepers has not had the firepower or mandate to stop the fighting, but has provided some protection to thousands of civilians who have fled to the UN compound in Bunia, the capital of the province. Many civilians in the area have been maimed by machete-wielding members of the rival Hema and Lendu militias.
France has committed to contributing the bulk of the forces, between 800 and 1000 troops, the French ambassador here told reporters on Friday.
A meeting on Friday afternoon of the military representatives from the countries involved continued to work out details of which country would contribute what.
Pakistan, Nigeria and Nepal have expressed an interest in contributing troops, but it is not clear what financial arrangements would be acceptable to them, a council diplomat said.
South Africa is also contributing troops, the South African envoy said earlier this week.
Belgium is contributing a medical unit. In Ottawa, a spokeswoman for the Canadian Defense Ministry told reporters that Canada would contribute two Lockheed C-130 Hercules transport aircraft and from 30 to 50 military personnel. Brazil and Britain are also providing support.
In a statement released to reporters here, the French ambassador, Jean-Marc de la Sabliere, said the force, the first part of which is expected to arrive next week, will have a mandate to stabilize the situation in Bunia and ensure the safety of the civilian population. The council resolution authorizes the deployment until Sept. 1. A contingent of Bangladeshi peacekeepers is expected to arrive shortly before then to replace the multinational force.
The new resolution was introduced earlier this week, after the governments of the Congo's eastern neighbors, Uganda and Rwanda, assented to the international force.
A report prepared by the office of Secretary-General Kofi Annan and distributed to council missions this week gave a grim overview of the crisis.
"The humanitarian impact of the armed conflict for the 4.6 million inhabitants of Ituri has been catastrophic," it stated, adding that throughout the area there are "between 500,000 and 600,000 internally displaced persons -- many of whom remain in hiding and cannot be accounted for."
It added: "Since the first major onslaught of violence in June 1999, the death toll has been estimated at more than 60,000, and countless others have been left maimed or severely mutilated. Of the estimated 400 health centers, 212 have been closed, and not a single surgeon is present."
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