UNITED NATIONS, April 25 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council endorsed on Tuesday the deployment of the European Union reserve force in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

    In a resolution adopted unanimously, the Council authorized the force, to be known as Eufor R.D.Congo, for a period ending four months after the date of the first round of upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections.

    The task of the force is to take all necessary measures to support the UN Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in case the Mission faced serious difficulties in fulfilling its mandate, according to the resolution.

    Meanwhile, the force is expected to protect civilians, help guard the Kinshasa airport, protect its own personnel and installations, and execute limited operations to extract individuals in danger.

    The Council also called upon all Congolese parties to demonstrate their full commitment to democratic process by ensuring that the upcoming presidential and legislative elections were free, fair, peaceful and transparent.

    The Congolese elections, slated for June 18, are supported by the largest and most expensive electoral assistance operation the UN has ever undertaken, on the hope that the process will cement the country's transition from years of bloody conflict. Enditem