Kisangani duties to stretch UN mission

MONUC is expected to seek a moderate increase in its authorised strength in order to cover additional commitments during the ongoing demilitarisation of the northeastern DRC city of Kisangani, according to diplomatic sources. The withdrawal of Ugandan, Rwandan and, ultimately, rebel Congolese forces from Kisangani would involve MONUC taking up the security of Sim-Sim and Bangoka airports, patrolling the city and manning checkpoints at strategic sites, according to an execution plan seen by IRIN.

The demilitarisation of Kisangani has begun and is scheduled to continue over the next fortnight, news organisations report. While the UN’s phase two deployment is expected to see a battalion based in Kisangani, the use of these troops to assist the demilitarisation effort would divert them from other planned uses and reduce the mission’s overall flexibility, so additional infantry and support staff would most likely be requested, sources told IRIN. The actual monitoring of the scheduled Ugandan, Rwandan and Rassemblement congolais pour la democratie (RCD) withdrawal from Kisangani was expected to be done by some 30 military observers from within the already approved MONUC complement of 500, they added.