Kinshasa, 31/07/2006 (Agence Europe) - MONUC, the force deployed by the European Union to support the United Nations mission in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and contribute to the country's security, became fully operational on Sunday 30 July. EUFOR, which began the considerable task of explaining its role that is often not understood by the people of Kinshasa, is composed of 2,400 military, including 1,100 in the Congolese capital. With 730 military deployed in Kinshasa and Gabon, where EUFOR is divided between Libreville and Port-Gentil, Germany is one of the largest contributors to the operation commanded from Potsdam by General Karl-Heinz Viereck. France has 1,090 servicemen in the country. In total, 18 nations are taking part in the operation although sometimes with only a symbolic contribution with one or two officers, for example. Contributions worthy of note are those by Poland and Spain (130 soldiers each), Belgium (60), Sweden (55), Italy and Portugal (50 each), the Netherlands (40), Turkey (15) and Finland (12). The force in place was almost complete the day before the first round of the Congolese elections and the last elements are expected to arrive before the period of tension that could be provoked by the announcement of the different results. (See related article and, for more detail, our Atlantic News publication).