| | The United Nations Mission in the DR Congo (MONUC) was established as a result of the Lusaka Accord of 1999. The Accord was signed in the Zambian capital, Lusaka, on 10 July, by leaders of six countries involved in the conflict (the DR Congo, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Angola, Rwanda and Uganda), but not by the Congolese rebel groups. Monuc itself came into being on 24 February 2000, when the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1291. With a budget of over $1 billion it is the largest and most expensive peacekeeping operation currently run by the UN with a total of 16,500 troops at its disposal. Monuc's mandate was to take the Congolese - by stages - from a civil war to civilian rule, via democratic elections. The current head of Monuc, Ambassador William Swing outlined the magnitude of the task. |
