Belligerents urge funding approval for MONUC

Countries on opposing sides of the DRC conflict on Wednesday urged the UN General Assembly to authorise adequate resources for the UN Mission in the DRC (MONUC). Speaking at a meeting of the Assembly’s administrative and budgetary committee, which is considering a proposed US $200 million initial cost requirement for MONUC, the representative of Uganda expressed concern about the “foot-dragging” that had been witnessed up to now regarding MONUC’s deployment. A UN press release quoted him as saying that emphasising the need for peace before a peacekeeping operation could be sent was a way to “marginalise” Africa. The Zimbabwean representative told the committee that the Lusaka ceasefire agreement needed to be supported “expeditiously”. The fact that the accord had “run on its own steam” for so long was indicative of its strength, he said.