No UN observers without new mediator, says Holbrooke

The US envoy to the UN, Richard Holbrooke, said in South Africa on Monday that the UN would focus particularly on the DRC conflict when the US assumes the rotating presidency of the Security Council in January. However, Washington would not support the deployment of 500 UN military observers to the DRC until all sides agreed to a special mediator to revitalise the Lusaka agreement. The international community could not be expected to intervene in the DRC unless all sides stopped the renewed fighting and adhered to the ceasefire, the BBC quoted him as saying. "The renewed fighting threatens to leave the Lusaka agreement in tatters ... If the parties in the Congo really want the international community's involvement and support, such violations of these commitments are simply unacceptable," Holbrooke added.