Lahore, Aug 21: About 1,000 Pakistani army troops left for the Congo today for a UN peacekeeping mission in the central African country riven by tribal fighting, the state-run news agency reported. This is the second time in 40 years that Pakistan has sent UN peacekeepers to Congo, Africa's third-largest nation. The last time was 1960-64 when Pakistani troops oversaw the country's independence from Belgium, media of Pakistan said.

In this mission, Pakistani troops are to be deployed in the Ituri district in the northeastern Congo, assisting UN efforts to restore peace and stability in the region that has been the scene of deadly tribal fighting, Pakistan's foreign ministry has said.

Pakistan has also agreed to a UN request for sending peacekeeping troops to Liberia.

The foreign ministry has said that so far Pakistan has participated in 26 UN peacekeeping operations in Europe, Asia and Africa.

Pakistan has also been asked by Britain and the United States to send troops to Iraq, but the government has yet to make a final decision. The foreign ministry has said that it would consider sending troops, but only under the auspices of the United Nations or another international body.
Bureau Report