Congo calls for UN force to leave

Congo's president has called for the UN's 20,000-strong peacekeeping force to leave before September 2011 so the country can "fly with its own wings," but the UN secretary-general is not signing off on a date, according to a report.

Ban Ki-moon said he wants to ensure that military operations against rebels in eastern Congo are successfully completed, that well trained and equipped Congolese army units can take over the UN force's security role, and that the government extends its authority in areas freed from armed groups before the largest UN peacekeeping operation in the world departs.

The secretary-general did recommend in the report to the Security Council that the withdrawal start immediately with up to 2,000 troops leaving peaceful areas of the central African nation by June 30, the 50th anniversary of Congo's independence.

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