In a video of the incident posted on social media, we see men, including at least one in police uniform and another in Congolese military uniform, advancing towards the immobilized convoy on the other side of the barrier. closed in Kasindi, in the territory of Beni, on the border with Uganda.
After a verbal exchange, the presumed blue helmets are seen firing shots before opening the barrier and crossing the post.
Soldiers from the MONUSCO Intervention Brigade […] opened fire at the border post for unexplained reasons and forced their way through. This serious incident caused loss of life and serious injuries
lamented the UN mission in a statement.
The death toll is two
said Joël Kitausa, a civil society leader from Kasindi, who also reported 14 injuries.
Opening an investigation
Mr Guterres underlines in the strongest terms the need to establish responsibility for these events
and approve the detention of the military personnel implicated in this incident as well as the immediate opening of an investigation
said a deputy spokesman for the secretary general, Farhan Haq, in a press release.
The head of MONUSCO, Bintou Keita, said to herself deeply shocked and dismayed by this serious incident
according to the mission statement.
” Faced with this unspeakable and irresponsible behavior, the perpetrators of the shooting were identified and [arrêtés] pending the conclusions of the investigation which has already begun in collaboration with the Congolese authorities. »
Contacts have also been established with the country of origin of these soldiers so that legal proceedings can be instituted urgently with the participation of victims and witnesses so that exemplary sanctions can be taken as soon as possible.
added the UN mission without mentioning the nationality of these peacekeepers.
The government of the ground floor strongly condemns and deplores this unfortunate incident
assured his spokesman, Patrick Muyaya.
Together with MONUSCO, the authorities have opened an investigation to establish responsibilities, to find out the motivations for such a crime and to obtain severe sanctions against the Blue Helmets at the origin of this tragedy
he confirmed.
Kinshasa, who called on the Congolese people quiet
warns that ground floor“,”text”:”the blue helmets concerned can no longer be part of the MONUSCO contingents, pending the outcome of the plan to withdraw this UN force from the DRC”}}”>the Blue Helmets concerned will no longer be able to be part of the MONUSCO contingents pending the outcome of the plan to withdraw this UN force from the ground floor.
The presence of the United Nations disturbs
Last week, deadly demonstrations accompanied by destruction and looting took place in several towns in eastern ground floor to demand the departure of the United Nations.
In Goma, Butembo, Beni and other locations, demonstrators stormed MONUSCO facilities. No less than 19 people, including three peacekeepers, were killed in these violent demonstrations.
The demonstrators accused the Blue Helmets of ineffectiveness in the fight against the hundred armed groups responsible for the chaos in which the eastern provinces of the country have been plunged for nearly 30 years.
One of the missions of theUN largest and most costly in the world, MONUSCO is present in ground floor since 1999. It currently has over 14,000 peacekeepers with an annual budget of one billion dollars.
Visiting in ground floorJean-Pierre Lacroix, head of the peace operations department of theUNsaid on Saturday that he had come to to speak with the Congolese authorities and to examine the means by which we can both prevent a recurrence of these tragic incidents and above all work better together to achieve our objectives
.
We hope that the conditions will be met, in particular the return of State authority, so that MONUSCO can complete its mission as soon as possible and leave room for other forms of international support.
he said.
