In Congo, U.N. Suspends Five Staff Members

KINSHASA, Congo — The U.N. mission in Congo has suspended five civilian staff members for "procurement irregularities," the United Nations said yesterday. The action is the latest in a string of accusations of misconduct by the soldiers or employees of U.N. peacekeeping missions deployed to return stability to fractured countries. A spokeswoman for the peacekeeping mission — the world's largest with about 18,000 troops — declined to comment or explain the nature of the irregularities, saying the investigation was ongoing.