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UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

DRC: International force sets Bunia town boundaries

NAIROBI, 25 June 2003 (IRIN) - The multinational force sent to secure the town of Bunia in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has set boundaries beyond which all armed militias must withdraw, the peace enforcement mission's spokesman told IRIN on Wednesday.

The spokesman, Col Gerard Dubois, said the town limits had been established as follows: Shari River bridge, to the north; Dele village, to the south; Similabo neighbourhood, to the east; and 2 km from the airport, to the west.

Tuesday's 11:00 am deadline for the withdrawal of all armed elements from the town was extended until noon on Wednesday in order to finalise technicalities such as Bunia town limits and whether the Union des patriotes congolais (UPC), the Hema militia that had controlled the town, would be allowed to maintain its headquarters within the town.

To that effect, it was decided that 30 UPC armed men would be allowed to remain in Bunia to protect UPC headquarters, Dubois said. However, they would not be permitted to leave the compound with their arms.

Asked if allowing UPC elements to remain in Bunia posed a security risk, Dubois said: "I think the main goal is to remove all visible weapons from the streets, which will help restore calm to the population."

He said Bunia was "not the same town" it had been only days ago, with calm prevailing, people on the streets and shops reopened.

The UN Security Council authorised the deployment of the multinational force on 30 May, with a mandate to protect the town, its airport and its people until 1 September, at which point a reinforced UN peacekeeping force would be in place. Unlike the peacekeeping force, the multinational force is authorised to use force to achieve its objectives.

The deployment of the 1,800-strong force, divided between Bunia and a rear base located at Entebbe airport in neighbouring Uganda, is still underway, but is due to be completed by mid-July.

Theme(s): (IRIN) Conflict

[ENDS]

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