These shots on a UN helicopter occur in the aftermath of a meeting in Burundi between several heads of Eastern African States which ended with a call to the “immediate ceasefire of all parts “and a withdrawal of all armed groups.
mo12345lemonde with AFP and reuters
One South African blue helmet was killed and another seriously injured in shots against their helicopter in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, announced the Monusco (United Nations Mission for Stabilization in the Democratic Republic of the Democratic Republic Congo), Sunday, February 5. The aircraft wiped out shots around 3 p.m. (1 p.m. in Paris) during a flight to Goma, the provincial capital of North Kivu, where he finally managed to land.
A #Monusco helicopter who took off from #Beni this Sunday early afternoon for #goma A ESS… https://t.co/av2ogvieyn
The South African army confirmed this information in the evening, specifying in a statement that the Onyx helicopter had suffered, that a “member of the crew was killed, another wounded but he is managed to continue directing the aircraft and having it landed. ” The South African Defense Mia, after having informed “the families of the soldiers involved in this unfortunate incident”, will communicate other details “in due time”.
According to Amadou Ba, one of the spokesperson for Monusco, the origin of the shots is not yet known and their precise location remains to be determined. In a statement published on Sunday evening, Bintou Keita, La Cheffe de la Monusco, “firmly condemns this loose attack on an aircraft bearer of the United Nations emblem” and recalls that “the attacks against the peacekeepers can constitute a war crime “.
Meeting in Burundi between Eastern African Heads of Africa
On March 29, 2022, eight peacekeepers had been killed in the crash of their helicopter above an area of fighting between the Congolese army and the rebels of the March 23 movement (M23). Since November 2021, the mainly tutsi rebellion of the M23 has taken hold of territories north of Goma. The DRC accuses Rwanda of supporting it, which is corroborated by UN experts and Western countries, but Kigali defends itself.
These shots on a UN helicopter occur in the aftermath of a meeting in Burundi between several Eastern African heads, including the Congolese and Rwandan presidents between which relations are execrable month. This summit concluded with a call to the immediate “ceasefire of all parties” and a withdrawal of all armed groups, “including foreigners” in the east of the DRC.
Monusco is made up of around 18,200 men. It has been deployed in eastern DRC since it took over from a previous UN operation in 2010. Her mandate consists in particular in supporting local government efforts to stabilize a region plagued by violence rebel groups.