France circulated a resolution Tuesday calling for the emergency deployment of about 1,700 troops to reinforce the U.N. peacekeeping force in Congo. France's U.N. Ambassador Jean-Marc de La Sabliere said the resolution was in response to a letter from Secretary-General Kofi Annan calling for the urgent deployment of two battalions to the Kivu region in eastern Congo and the capital Kinshasa to reinforce the 10,800-strong U.N. force. The Security Council met Tuesday afternoon to discuss a draft resolution circulated by France last Friday, which calls for the U.N. peacekeeping force in Congo to be more than doubled to 23,900 troops to help support the country's fragile peace process and move toward free elections in 2005.
