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Title: With Peacekeepers Like These...
Author: Charles
Time/date: 6/10/2003 at 5:14:49 pm
No. of comments: 41

The French, working with the United Nations, have begun to intervene in the Congolese civil war.

The Guardian has obtained a transcript of a French military briefing, in which the French “peacekeepers” admit outright that their intervention will be very short-lived and have little impact on the fighting. (Hat tip: ploome.)

But they’ll look marvelous.

The document says: "The operation in Bunia is politicaly [sic] and military [sic] high risk; very sensitive and complex. France has no specific interest in the area except solidarity with the international community." The end of the intervention, it says, has been "firmly established at Sept 1st 2003", by which time a contingent of Bangladeshi peacekeepers is expected in Bunia.

The Bangladeshis are to relieve 700 Uruguayan peacekeepers, who have been humiliated by their failure to prevent a string of massacres.

During a 10-day battle for control of the town last month they remained in their barracks, without the numbers or a mandate to stop the slaughter of hundreds of civilians.

Two unarmed UN military observers were murdered, and seven peacekeepers taken to hospital after having nervous breakdowns.

Seven nervous breakdowns? Could the UN possibly be any more useless?