The Security Council on Monday approved shifting a small mechanized unit from Liberia to Ivory Coast to beef up the U.N. peacekeeping force there, a more modest step than sought by Secretary-General Kofi Annan, according to Reuters. A resolution adopted unanimously by the 15-nation council authorized Annan to immediately redeploy at most one infantry company to Ivory Coast until March 31 and expressed the council's intention to keep the matter under review. Council diplomats said the vote cleared the way for a Nigerian mechanized company of about 200 troops, 14 armored vehicles and 18 support vehicles to be redeployed. But they said a separate request by Annan for the transfer of a police unit as well was blocked by the United States, which has argued that reinforcing the Ivory Coast mission was not the answer if all sides lacked the will to achieve peace. U.N. chief spokesman Stephane Dujarric acknowledged Annan had hoped for a larger redeployment and would be in touch with council members "to see how we can progress on the situation." Annan last week asked that about 200 peacekeepers and 125 police officers be temporarily sent to Ivory Coast from Liberia, citing new threats against U.N. personnel and reports that more violent demonstrations and attacks were under way in the volatile West African nation. --More 21 35 Local Time 18 35 GMT
