UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – The U.N. Security Council aims to approve on Thursday the creation of a special force that would carry out “targeted offensive operations” to wipe out armed groups in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, council diplomats said.

The 15-member Security Council was still negotiating on Wednesday a draft resolution to establish the so-called intervention brigade within the existing 20,000-strong U.N. peacekeeping force in Congo, known as MONUSCO.

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – An African force deployed in Mali should be converted into a U.N. peacekeeping operation and a separate combat force created to confront Islamist threats, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon recommended to the Security Council on Tuesday.

A U.N.-backed African force is due to take over from France when it starts withdrawing its 4,000 troops in late April. In a report to the 15-member Security Council, Ban recommended that the African force, known as AFISMA, becomes a U.N. peacekeeping force of some 11,200 troops and 1,440 police – once major combat ends.

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has named Swedish scientist Ake Sellstrom to head a U.N. investigation into allegations that chemical weapons were used in Syria, Ban’s spokesman said on Tuesday.

“He is an accomplished scientist with a solid background in disarmament and international security,” U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky said.