UN says attack on MONUSCO base in DRC could be a war crime

July 27 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The United Nations has stressed that the attack perpetrated on Tuesday against a base of the UN Mission Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in the province of North Kivu (east), which resulted in the death of a ‘blue helmet’ and two mission police, could amount to a war crime, in the context of the protests of recent days against the peacekeeping troops in the African country.

The deputy spokesman for the Secretary General of the United Nations, Farhan Haq, has indicated that “any attack directed against ‘blue helmets’ could be a war crime”, for which he has asked the Congolese authorities to “investigate these incidents and quickly those responsible to justice”.

Thus, he stressed that the UN Secretary General, António Guterres, “firmly condemns” the attack against the MONUSCO base in Butembo and has conveyed his “deep condolences” to the families of the victims, identified as a ‘blue helmet ‘ Egyptian and two Indian policemen.

“The Secretary-General also strongly condemns the violence against multiple UN bases in North Kivu since July 25, in which individuals and groups have broken into and engaged in looting and destruction of UN property, as well as looting and burning residences of United Nations personnel,” Haq said in a statement.

Along these lines, he stressed that Guterres also regrets the death of protesters and reiterated “MONUSCO’s commitment to work with the Congolese authorities to investigate these incidents”, while recalling the status-of-forces agreement with the DRC, that “guarantees the inviolability of United Nations facilities”.

Finally, he said that Guterres “underlines the UN’s firm commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of the DRC”. “The UN, through its special representative in the DRC and its mission, mandated by the UN Security Council, will continue to support the Congolese government and people in their efforts to achieve peace and stability in the east of the country,” he said. riveted.

MONUSCO has been stationed in northeast Congo for more than 20 years, in an attempt to shore up peace in the country despite the presence of some 130 armed groups vying for control of the DRC’s vast natural resources, including copper, cobalt, gold and diamonds.