DRC: Belgium finds no support for deployment

Belgian foreign minister Karel de Gucht failed to secure the support of his EU counterparts for the deployment an EU mission to Congo until UN reinforcements can arrive. The ministerial meeting on Monday (8 December) ended with no commitments for a so-called bridging mission, despite UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon calling on the EU to send troops until 3,000 additional soldiers can take their place and under a UN mandate.