United Nations Radio

A UN Security Council delegation on Sunday called on militias and armed groups in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo - the DRC to disarm.

Chief delegate Ambassador Jean-Maurice Ripert of France said "the council is calling for the militias of the region to be disarmed by the government and the army, and, if asked the UN peacekeeping mission -MONUC can help."

He says "if this can only happen after more pressure or military operations, then the UN Security Council will change the MONUC mandate.'

Ambassador Ripert says "for the time-being the mandate implies support...for Congolese authorities to improve security."

He says "all militia chiefs are committed to disarming," but have failed to do so.

And he adds that the DRC must work with its neighbors, notably Rwanda to bring peace to the troubled region.

The visiting Security Council delegation is now in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire for talks on the state of preparation for presidential elections due in November.

Cote d'Ivoire is the last leg of an African tour that has already taken the Council members to Djibouti, Sudan, Chad and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

This is Donn Bobb reporting for United Nations Radio.

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