The United Nations Security Council has approved the first-ever “offensive” brigade to actively battle rebel groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Previous peacekeeping efforts were unable to protect civilians from militias, especially the year-old M23 group made up of disaffected Congolese troops.

But the new force of 2,500 will have a mandate "neutralize" and "disarm" militias in the resource-rich east of the huge country positioned in the heart of Africa.  The brigade will be part of the UN peacekeeping mission in Congo (MONUSCO) with more than 19,000 troops.

The resolution creating the “robust, highly mobile and versatile” also condemned M23’s presence in Goma on Lake Kivu near the Rwandan border, and M23’s attempts to establish a provisional government.

The United States, France, and Togo sponsored the resolution.

Last week, Defense Minister Stephen Smith announced Australia would train Vietnamese troops for their first international peacekeeping missions, and DR Congo was listed as a possible destination.