US and France differ over peacekeepers

French Cooperation Minister Charles Josselin has said at least 10,000 international peacekeepers will be required for the DRC, rather than the 3,000-4,000 proposed by the US. AFP said he told a news conference in Paris on his return from a visit to Africa there was a “divergence” between France and the US on the size of the peacekeeping force. “We think it will be necessary to deploy a force of at least 10,000 men in the Great Lakes region to guarantee the success of the Lusaka peace deal,” he said. He added that the peacekeepers should be sent to the region as soon as possible. “The Lusaka accords cannot succeed unless the international community exerts maximum pressure on the protagonists and mobilises the necessary means on the ground,” he noted. DRC President Laurent-Desire Kabila has not yet announced whether he will attend a meeting in New York next week of major players in the war. “It would be very regrettable if he did not seize this opportunity,” Josselin told reporters.