UN Approves Congo Peacekeepers and Rejects U.S. Efforts to Block

On December 4, 2002, the United Nations Security Council approved unanimously a resolution to send nearly 3,200 more peacekeepers to go to the eastern part of Congo as the civil war in the Congo seemingly winds down. The resolution raises the peacekeeper troop limit in the Congo form 5,537 to 8,700. At present, 4,200 peacekeepers are in the Congo. The effort of the U.S. to attach an amendment to the resolution excepting U.S. peacekeepers from the ICC jurisdiction follows a pattern by the Bush Administration. The failure to secure even one vote and then the U.S. withdrawal seems to reflect a lack of international support, especially since the U.S. has enormous influence over the U.N. Security Council. The quick withdrawal of the amendments also reflect apparent realization of the U.S. of the lack of support in the U.N. Security Council and the harm to the U.S. for continuing to delay the normal operations of the U.N. Security Council over the U.S. efforts to secure a permanent exception for its peacekeepers.