President Francois Bozize of the Central African Republic (CAR) on Wednesday called for a strengthened United Nations peacekeeping mission in his country, in the face of the imminent departure of a European Union force (EUFOR).
The UN Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT) currently has 768 personnel out of the 1,549 authorized in both countries.
In the latest report earlier this month, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon proposed to send a UN force of 6,000 people to replace the 3,000-strong EUFOR, whose mandate expires on March 15, 2009.
"With the end of EUFOR in March 2009 and taking into account the fragility of the situation not only in the northeast but also of the developing insecurity in the southeast, the revision of MINURCAT's mission and its scope is to be desired," Bozize told the UN General Assembly on the second day of its annual general debate.
The Security Council on Wednesday adopted a resolution authorizing an extension of MINURCAT's mandate through March 2009 and said it intended to authorize the establishment of a UN force to succeed EUFOR.
Source:Xinhua
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