An international force of 1,400 troops will head to the Congo in the next few weeks to try to re-establish order in a country that has been torn apart by civil unrest.

On Friday, the UN Security Council unanimously authorized the French-led mission to the war-torn country, where ethnic fighting has killed nearly 400 people.

Canada's role in the mission will be to send two Hercules transport aircraft to the northeastern part of the country and deploy 30 to 50 Canadian Forces personnel, said a defence spokesperson.

The crisis in the Ituri province of Congo began May 7 when 6,000 Ugandan soldiers, who were posted there in a peacekeeping role, left the country.

Their departure opened the doors for two rival tribes to fight for control of land and the area's rich mineral deposits.

Other countries throwing support and troops behind this UN-backed intervention include Belgium, Germany, Spain, South Africa, Italy and Britain, said French Defence Minister Michele Alliot-Marie.

The U.S. will not be sending troops to the Congo.

France will send its soldiers to the country's Bunia region next week, and the remaining troops are scheduled to join them by June, said Alliot-Marie.

Jean-Marc de La Sabliere, France's UN envoy, said the emergency force will remain in the Congo until the situation has "stabilized."

A Bangladesh-led UN force is expected to take over in September.

Unlike the existing monitoring force, this group of soldiers will be able to use firepower to protect civilians and areas around Bunia, where, according to international aid agencies, more than 250,000 people have fled for shelter at UN compounds.

The French were asked by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan earlier this month to lead a force that could take over from overwhelmed Ugandan troops posted in the Congo to monitor a 1999 ceasefire.