Anti UN Protest In East Congo: 15 Killed, 50 Injured
Anti UN Protest In East Congo: 15 killed, 50 injured in anti-UN protests in eastern Congo.
15 people were killed and several others injured during two days of demonstrations against the UN mission in eastern Congo. Officials gave this information on Tuesday.
The United Nations confirmed that a peacekeeper serving with the UN peacekeeping force and two international policemen were killed in violence against the United Nations in Butembo, formerly North Kivu province.
While another was injured. Violent attackers snatched weapons from Congolese police and opened fire on UN personnel.
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Anti UN Protest In East Congo: The case will be investigated.
UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq said reports of civilian casualties, including reports of UN peacekeepers killed and civilians wounded, would be investigated.
Hundreds of attackers attacked UN force bases in Goma as well as other parts of North Kivu on Tuesday “particularly motivated by hostile comments and threats made by individuals and groups against the UN on social media”, he said.
Mob attacked with stones and petrol bombs.
Haq said, ‘The mob is throwing stones and petrol bombs. Demolition of places. doing robbery.
We are trying to calm things down by sending rapid response forces but there is no evidence that the violence has ended.
Mob tried to enter the premises of the United Nations Development Program.
In addition, Haque said that at least four incidents targeted the residences of MONUSCO employees, who have now been shifted to UN camps.
He said the mob tried to break into the UN Development Program complex early Tuesday but security guards revolted.
Protesters set fire to the UN mission office.
Protesters torched UN mission offices in Goma on Monday and forcibly entered.
They accused peacekeeping forces of failing to protect civilians amid escalating violence in the Congo’s eastern region. They have been asking UN forces in Congo for years to leave the country.
The protesters held the peace army responsible.
Congolese police said six civilians were killed in Goma and eight in Butembo on Monday.
Earlier, government spokesman Patrick Muayya said that as of Monday five people had been killed and about 50 had been injured.
The demonstrators blamed bullets fired by peacekeepers for the deaths.
Citizens in the east of the Congo have also faced violence from jihadist rebels affiliated with the Islamic State group.
The government gave instructions to restore peace.
A government spokesman did not say what caused the deaths. “The government has directed the security forces to take all measures to restore peace and normalcy in Goma,” he said.
He also reiterated that steps are already being taken to withdraw the peacekeeping force.
UN peacekeeping chief to visit Congo soon.
MONUSCO Acting Chief Khassim Diagne and UN spokesman Haq condemned the killings of UN personnel.
Haque said UN peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix, who is currently in Mali, would visit the Congo soon. Diagne described violence against the United Nations as “absolutely unacceptable”.
Haq said the United Nations has plans to withdraw its peacekeeping forces and even withdraw from Congo, but “we are stuck because the situation on the ground is dangerous”.
