DRC unrest sparks troops call
2004-06-03 20:43
New York - The United Nations may need more troops in the Democratic Republic of Congo, said peacekeeping chief Jean-Marie Guehenno on Thursday after deadly unrest and turmoil.
"I think it's likely that we may need more troops in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It depends on what mandate the security council will give us for the next phase of Monuc," he said, referring to the UN mission in the country.
"But I think if we want to keep the momentum, it's quite possible that we need more troops," he told a media conference.
Two people were killed earlier when guards opened fire on looters ransacking a UN warehouse amid demonstrations against the world body, one day after renegade soldiers took over a key town despite the presence of UN peacekeepers.
Protests erupted across the country after dissident troops took over the eastern city of Bukavu on Wednesday, sparking fears that the DRC's fragile peace process was starting to unravel.
"A setback like we are seeing in Bukavu creats a lot of despair," said Guehenno.
Monuc spokesperson Sebastien Lapierre said in the DRC that numerous acts of rape and looting were unfolding in the city.
- SAPA