The United Nations peacekeeping operation in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the world's largest, has been asked by the government there to leave by September 2011, dpa quoted a report to the UN Security Council as saying today. The report by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said one reason for the drawdown of the UN Mission in Congo (MONUC) was that the country has been mostly "conflict free." Its relations with neighbours have been normalized and reconstruction efforts are gathering pace. The government of President Joseph Kabila has called for completing the drawdown in September next year, with the first of the 22,000 military, police and civilian personnel beginning to leave in June this year. "Consistent with the principles set out by the government, the complete withdrawal of MONUC force from the eight provinces will ensure that national institutions formally assume full responsibilityfor independently maintaining law and order, and the necessary security arrangements there, without the presence of the MONUC," Ban said in the report. He said Kinshasa has requested that MONUC train and equip 20 police battalions, with 550 personnel each, which would take three years to complete. Kinshasa requested that three battalions be trained in the first year, eight in the second and nine in the third year. Ban asked the council to renew MONUC's mandate, which will expire next month, for a further 12 months during the drawdown process. The 15-nation Security Council will send a delegation to Congo, Rwanda and Uganda for a nine-day visit beginning on April 17. Ban said he agreed with Kinshasa's assessment of the situation that the level of security and stability in conflict-free provinces would permit MONUC's departure "without creating an unmanageable risk of renewed instability." But he warned that provinces where fighting has continued would be a challenge to Kinshasa. Congo, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary of independence from Belgium in June, has called for an official schedule for MONUC'swithdrawal by then. The country is planning for general elections next year. MONUC was first deployed in Congo in 1999 to assist Kinshasa deal with conflicts on its territory involving armies from neighbouring Rwanda and Uganda.
