Annan recommends a month extension of MONUC

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has recommended a one-month extension of the UN mission in DRC (MONUC). In a letter to the Security Council on Wednesday, he said the mission - whose current mandate expires on 24 August - should be extended until 30 September to allow enough time to discuss the impact of latest developments in the country. Thereafter the appropriate recommendations could be formulated. Annan noted that an “adverse climate” in the DRC had so far prevented the full deployment of MONUC in accordance with UN resolutions. A “sustained campaign of vilification” against MONUC and individual staff members had created significant security risks, and severe restrictions imposed by the DRC authorities had limited MONUC’s freedom of movement, Annan said. He added that the Lusaka peace process was going through an “extremely challenging phase” and required substantial re-evaluation, not only on the part of the signatories, but also of the UN. The role MONUC would play in the current circumstances remained unclear, he said.

Meanwhile, a five-member UN team was due to arrive in Kisangani from New York to assess the damage caused by the fighting between Rwandan and Ugandan troops in June, a UN spokesman announced. The team will return to New York on 26 August and submit its assessment, as requested by the Security Council.