UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon proposed on Wednesday that a 6,000-strong UN force be dispatched to eastern Chad and north-eastern Central African Republic (CAR), which have been marred by violence and civilian displacement in recent years.
The UN force will replace a 3,300-troop European Union force, known as EUFOR, already deployed in the region, whose mandate expires on March 15, 2009, Ban said in a report presented to the UN Security Council.
"Owing to the volatility of the security situation, the force would require an 'over the horizon' capability of approximately a battalion group with appropriate support requirements, ready to deploy expeditiously should the security situation rise to levels beyond the capacity of a United Nations force," Ban said.
"This would be especially required during the vulnerable period of transition from EUFOR to the United Nations force and before the latter is fully operational," he said.
Ban said that the underlying causes of insecurity and instability in Chad, the Central African Republic and the subregion are complex.
"Regional and local tensions, poverty, weak institutions and poor infrastructure compound the difficulties faced by local authorities in finding peaceful and sustainable mechanisms to address the causes and consequences of insecurity and violence," Ban said.
But he also noted that there has been some progress in consolidating peace and stability.
"I commend the leaders of these countries for their efforts in this regard," he said.
Source:Xinhua
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