U.N. PEACEKEEPERS WITH ATTACK HELICOPTERS AND ARMOURED VEHICLES LAUNCHED AN OFFENSIVE AGAINST AN EASTERN MILITIA ON SATURDAY TO TRY TO BOLSTER SECURITY TWO MONTHS AHEAD OF LONG-AWAITED NATIONAL ELECTIONS, REUTERS REPORTED. AROUND 1,000 BANGLADESHI, PAKISTANI AND SOUTH AFRICAN U.N. PEACEKEEPERS ALONG WITH 3,000 CONGOLESE SOLDIERS LAUNCHED THE OPERATION TO RETAKE THE TOWN OF TCHEI IN ITURI DISTRICT, WHERE MILITIA VIOLENCE HAS KILLED TENS OF THOUSANDS SINCE 1999. GROUPS OF YOUNG CHILDREN RAN OUT OF THATCHED HUTS AMONG BANANA AND MANGO TREES TO WAVE AND GIVE THE THUMBS UP AS A CONVOY OF ARMOURED VEHICLES ADVANCED TOWARDS THE TOWN THROUGH THE LUSH GREEN HILLS. U.N. ATTACK HELICOPTERS FLEW OVERHEAD. "WE ARE GOING TO MOVE TOWARDS TCHEI WHERE WE PRESUME THERE ARE ABOUT 2,000 MILITIA. THEY HAVE NOT ALLOWED THE GOVERNMENT TROOPS TO MOVE IN FOR THE LAST THREE MONTHS," SAID BRIGADIER GENERAL MOHAMMAD MAHBOOB, COMMANDER OF THE U.N. FORCES IN ITURI. "WE'RE GOING TO TAKE CONTROL OF TCHEI ... WE DON'T WANT ANY BLOODSHED. WE'D PREFER THE MILITIAS SURRENDER THAN BE HURT BY OUR BULLETS," HE SAID, SPEAKING TO REUTERS SHORTLY AFTER LEADING A PRAYER SERVICE FOR BANGLADESHI TROOPS. PRESIDENTIAL AND LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS ARE DUE IN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO ON JULY 30 AFTER REPEATED DELAYS. THEY WILL BE THE FIRST MULTI-PARTY POLLS IN FOUR DECADES IN THE VAST CENTRAL AFRICAN COUNTRY. WITH JUST TWO MONTHS TO GO, THE STRETCHED U.N. FORCE IS TRYING TO PACIFY PARTS OF EASTERN CONGO WHERE GUNMEN STILL ROAM, EVEN THOUGH THE LAST WAR -- WHICH SPARKED A HUMANITARIAN CRISIS THAT HAS KILLED 4 MILLION PEOPLE -- OFFICIALLY ENDED IN 2003. "THERE ARE A FEW POCKETS WHERE THE AUTHORITY OF THE STATE IS NOT YET COMPLETE AND THIS OPERATION IS TARGETED AGAINST PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT LETTING THE ELECTIONS GO ON," SAID HANS-JAKOB REICHEN, MILITARY SPOKESMAN FOR U.N. FORCES IN EASTERN CONGO. "IT IS QUITE A LARGE OPERATION ... AT THE MOMENT THERE HAVE JUST BEEN A FEW EXCHANGES OF FIRE," HE SAID. A REUTERS CORRESPONDENT TRAVELLING WITH THE U.N. PEACEKEEPERS HEARD MORTAR AND AUTOMATIC RIFLE FIRE AS THE COLUMN OF ARMOURED PERSONNEL CARRIERS ADVANCED. IT WAS NOT IMMEDIATELY CLEAR WHETHER THE SHOOTING WAS DIRECTED AT THE U.N. FORCE. --MORE
