Annan: More troops needed for DRC
UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- The United Nations should more than double the size of its peacekeeping force in the Democratic Republic of Congo to help stabilize the central African nation's transitional government, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan has said.
Annan recommended increasing the force from about 10,800 to 23,900 -- which would make it the largest U.N. peacekeeping operation in the world.
Any such increase must still be approved by the 15-member U.N. Security Council.
The transitional government is headed by President Joseph Kabila and includes various former rebel groups. According to the United Nations, the government has little or no authority in many parts of the country, where armed groups remain in control.
"Hard-liners and spoilers who want to see the transitional process fail can be found in all major components, and will continue to disturb the process," Annan said in his report.
Annan said the establishment of a peacekeeping force under "Chapter 7" -- a mandate permitting the use of force to maintain peace -- "has raised expectations that the mission will enforce the peace throughout the country. However, there is a wide gap between such expectations and (the force's) capacity to deliver on them."
Annan also said the U.N. mission "cannot create stability," it can only help the current transitional government in doing so.
The mission could, however, "assist the process by mobilizing the resources necessary to deter spoilers from derailing the transition," Annan said.
More than 3 million people died during the Congo's five-year civil war, most of them from starvation and malnutrition.
