The UN chief has condemned an attack which saw eight peacekeepers
from the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, or
DRC, wounded during clashes between the powerful M23 rebel
movement and Government troops.
The incident occurred in the vicinity of Sake, just 20 kilometers
from Goma, the provincial capital of North Kivu.
The wounded peacekeepers, who were part of Operation Springbok
initiated last November to safeguard civilians in the region,
sustained their injuries amidst the ongoing fighting, where UN
troops have been assisting Government forces in order to protect
vulnerable civilians.
In a strongly-worded
statement issued by his Spokesperson, UN
Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the
attack, emphasizing that it could amount to a war
crime under international law.
Expressing his wishes for a swift recovery for the injured
peacekeepers, he reiterated calls for all armed groups, Congolese
and foreign fighters alike, to immediately cease
hostilities and engage in the disarmament process.
Furthermore, the UN chief emphasized the necessity for M23 to
withdraw entirely from territory it has occupied and conform to
the agreements outlined in the Luanda communiqué of November
2022, to uphold the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the
DRC.
Bintou Keita, the Special Representative of the UN
Secretary-General in the DRC and head of the UN
mission MONUSCO, joined in the
condemnation, denouncing the
attack .
She said that one of the wounded ‘blue helmets’ had suffered
severe injuries and all have been evacuated for appropriate
medical care.
The peacekeepers had been deployed for several weeks as part of
Operation Springbok in the restive North Kivu area, working
jointly with Government troops in military operations. Ms. Keita
reaffirmed MONUSCO's commitment to support investigations in the
hopes of bringing those responsible to justice.
The Secretary-General and his Special Representative
reaffirmed MONUSCO’s resolve to further implement its
protection of civilians mandate from the Security Council and
work alongside Congolese defence and security forces to
reinforce joint and unilateral patrols to protect civilians.
