Timmins Calls For Bigger UN Presence In Congo

The Fine Gael Foreign Affairs Spokesperson has called for a larger presence in the Democratic Republic of Congo in order to deal with the country's ongoing bloody civil war.

Billy Timmins called on the United Nations to take decisive and effective action in the eastern part of the Congo, where the country's military and rebel forces are in the midst of an armed conflict.

The "Kivu conflict" has been raging since 2004 and broke out after the Second Congo war, which was the deadliest conflict since World War II and claimed over 5.4 million lives.

Mr Timmins said: "It appears that there are only 10 UN soldiers for every 10,000 inhabitants in the region - not enough to protect civilians from the violence perpetrated by rebel groups and the Congolese Army.

Just 9,000 of the 17,000 UN peacekeepers in the Congo are located in the war-torn region.

"It's clear that UN resources are stretched to breaking point and that the UN should seek an additional 5,000 peacekeepers to supervise a ceasefire that will allow aid workers to help civilians trapped in rebel-held areas north of the town of Goma."

UN forces are facing increasing pressure from international observers as well as the Congolese people they have been sent to defend.

On October 27, riots began around the United Nations incampment in DR Congo's Eastern city of Goma. Civilians pelted the UN forces building with rocks and petrol bombs, claiming that the UN forces had done nothing to prevent a bloody rebel advance. The Congolese national army also retreated under pressure from the rebel army in a "major retreat".

(DW)