The Guatemalan Army plans to send troops to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to help the UN peacekeeping mission there, said Defense Minister General Carlos Aldana on Friday.

The minister said the Guatemalan contingent that will go to the Central African country at an invitation of the United Nations may number 70 or 100.

Aldana did not give any details about the cost of the military operation, nor the date for the departure of the troops.

At least 47 other countries have contributed military forces to the UN Congo mission, which began in November 1999. The mission aims to bring peace to the African country, which witnessed its bloodiest tribal clashes during the 1998-2003 civil war.

After several years of shunning international missions, Guatemala contributed a 70-strong contingent to the UN mission in Haiti in November 2004.

(Xinhua News Agency January 15, 2005)