Do not send Indian troops for peace-keeping: Congo to UN

United Nations, Nov 26 (IANS) In what could be considered as a diplomatic embarrassment to both the UN and India, the African nation of Congo has urged the world body not to send additional peacekeeping troops from India.

The final call on this issue would be taken by the Security Council, informed sources told IANS here Wednesday.

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The Congolese government has sent a letter in this regard to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

While India has not been specifically mentioned in the letter, diplomatic sources told IANS that the tone and tenor of the official communication implies that Congo does not want Indian peace keeping force any more.

Without mentioning India, the letter, according to the sources, said in view of the numerous abuses of power carried out by certain troops within the UN peacekeeping force in Congo, people of the country would not understand if soldiers from the same country would be used to boost numbers within MONUC.

The UN peacekeeping force is mandated by a Security Council resolution, which only last week had increased the number of troops by 3,000. Following the passage of the resolution, the UN had urged several troops contributing countries, including India, to send more troops.