§ Lord Aveburyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they agree with the proposal by the United Nations Secretary-General that the strength of the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC) should be increased to 11,000 troops, and that an arms embargo be imposed on Ituri and the Kivus; and why the mandate of MONUC was extended only to 30 July, when the Secretary-General had asked for it to continue until June 2004. [HL3876]
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanIn his second special report on the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) the Secretary-General recommended an increase in the MONUC troop ceiling to 10,800 from the present level of 8,700. We support this increase to enable troops in sufficient numbers to be deployed in Ituri. We are presently pushing, in the Security Council, for agreement to the increase.
We are supporting the imposition of an arms embargo on Ituri and the Kivus. This should give the necessary political leverage to act against regional states, such as Rwanda and Uganda, and to act against the DRC Government if they arm rebel groups in the region where the worst atrocities have been taking place.
The present MONUC mandate expired on 30 June 2003. There was insufficient time for detailed consultations on the new mandate giving Chapter VII powers to MONUC, the increase in troop ceiling plus the implementation of an arms embargo. It was therefore agreed that there would be a technical rollover until 30 July when a new resolution should be adopted including all of the desired measures. This new mandate will continue until June 2004.