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Annan asks for interim extension of UN mission in DR of Congo
16 August -- Secretary-General Kofi Annan has recommended a one-month extension of the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) to allow time to assess the impact of recent developments in the country.

 The Mission's current mandate is set to expire at the end of August following the 24 February resolution of the Security Council, in accordance with which the Secretary-General was scheduled to submit his next report on the status of MONUC by 24 August.

However, in a letter to the Security Council released today at UN Headquarters in New York, Mr. Annan requested that the Council consider an interim extension of the Mission through 30 September to allow sufficient time to assess the impact of the latest events and to formulate appropriate recommendations.

 Noting that the "adverse climate" in the DRC had so far prevented the deployment of MONUC in accordance with Council resolutions, the Secretary-General called attention to the persistent large-scale fighting in many parts of the country and the severe restrictions imposed by DRC authorities and other parties on MONUC's freedom of movement. He also pointed to the "sustained campaign of vilification" against MONUC and individual members of its staff, which had created significant risks to their security.

 The Lusaka peace process, the Secretary-General wrote, was undergoing "an extremely challenging phase," requiring substantial reevaluation not only on the part of its signatories, but also of the UN. The role that MONUC was to play under the current circumstances remained unclear, he said.

At the same time, he emphasized that the implications of several major developments - including the 14 August summit meeting in Lusaka and Rwanda's statement about the disengagement of its forces in Kasai -- should be fully studied and taken into consideration before he submitted his recommendations to the Security Council about the status of MONUC.

In other news, a five-member UN team is expected to arrive in the DRC today to assess damage caused by armed conflict in the eastern town of Kisangani, a UN spokesman told reporters today in New York. The team is expected to return to New York on 26 August and submit an assessment report, as requested by the Security Council.