EU defence chiefs meet to study Congo force
INNSBRUCK, Austria (Reuters) - European Union defence ministers meet in Austria on Monday in the hope of overcoming wariness by member states to lead a force to help safeguard elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo. A number of EU nations, including France, Germany, Sweden, Ireland and Belgium, have said they would be willing to support the mission. But it remains unclear how many troops the bloc would be able to raise for the potentially risky operation. "It is hoped that some nations will be more specific in what they can offer," said one EU diplomat ahead of the two-day talks in Innsbruck.
The United Nations has asked the EU for around 800 troops to help protect Congo's first free elections since independence from Belgium in 1961. The force would need to be deployed on the ground in Congo for the elections, scheduled for June.
No comments:
Post a Comment