UN observers in Bunia

A team from the UN observer mission for the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC) on Monday arrived in northeast town of Bunia to meet the authorities and local leaders in the area. MONUC spokesman Guy Pickett confirmed to IRIN on Wednesday that the team was in the town and had held discussions with political and military leaders of the rebel Rassemblement conglais pour la democratie-Mouvement de liberation (RCD-ML). Following the meeting, MONUC hopes to send a team of four liaison officers to be based in the area next week. “The officers will make contact with the local leaders and authorities,” he said. “It will be the first phase of deployment of liaison officers and not yet the observer level.”