Pages

Tuesday 16 December 2014

[AfricaRealities] Congo President Calls for UN to Begin Withdrawal

 


Congo President Calls for UN to Begin Withdrawal

KINSHASA, Congo — Dec 15, 2014, 11:35 AM ET
By SALEH MWANAMILONGO Associated Press
Congo's president urged the United Nations on Monday to start withdrawing from the enormous country where a peacekeeping mission has been based for 15 years.
During a lengthy speech before parliament, President Joseph Kabila asserted that peace is progressively returning to the country racked by back-to-back civil wars. A myriad of rebel groups remain active in the country's east, launching attacks on civilians.
Kabila said the threat posed by various rebel groups "does not justify keeping a contingent of 20,000 men on our soil."
"The time has come to start reducing the number of blue helmets in our territory," he said, referring to the U.N. peacekeepers known for their signature protective gear.
The U.N. peacekeeping mission's mandate is up for renewal again at the end of March 2015.
Critics question whether the Congolese military can adequately protect civilians especially in the conflict-torn east.
More than 250 people have been killed in attacks around the town of Beni in the past two months, according to a local civil society group.
The U.N. peacekeepers first arrived in 1999 to observe a cease-fire and the withdrawal of foreign troops. U.N. force's strengthened mandate to fight rebels is credited with helping the Congolese army to oust a rebel group known as M23 from the country's embattled east a little over a year ago.

__._,_.___

Posted by: Nzinink <nzinink@yahoo.com>
Reply via web post Reply to sender Reply to group Start a New Topic Messages in this topic (1)
----------------------------------------------------------
The Voice of the Poor, the Weak and Powerless.

-----------------------------------------------------------
Post message:  AfricaRealities@yahoogroups.com
Subscribe: AfricaRealities-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Unsubscribe: AfricaRealities-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
List owner: AfricaRealities-owner@yahoogroups.com
__________________________________________________________________

Please consider the environment before printing this email or any attachments.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-http://www.africarealities.com/

-https://www.facebook.com/africarealities

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-New International Scholarships opportunities: http://www.scholarshipsgate.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

.

__,_._,___

No comments:

Post a Comment

READ MORE RECENT NEWS AND OPINIONS

Popular Posts

“The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish.”

“I have loved justice and hated iniquity: therefore I die in exile.

“The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.”

“When the white man came we had the land and they had the bibles; now they have the land and we have the bibles.”