Kinshasa, Three UN peacekeepers, including two Indian nationals, have been killed in anti-UN protests in Congo’s eastern city of Butembo. Butembo police chief Paul Ngoma said seven demonstrators were also killed in the violence.
Demonstrations began in the tension-ridden areas of the country on Monday. Demonstrators allege that MONUSCO (United Nations Peacekeeping Force) is failing to act against armed groups. Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has expressed grief over the death of Indian soldiers.
He tweeted and wrote – Saddened by the death of two brave Indian peacekeepers of BSF in Democratic Republic of Congo. He was part of MONUSCO. The perpetrators of this attack should be held accountable and punished.
A government official said it was the second day of demonstrations against the United Nations mission in the eastern Congo city of Goma. Demonstrators set fire to and stormed the offices of the United Nations mission in Goma on Monday. He alleged that peacekeeping forces were failing to protect civilians amid rising violence in the eastern region of Kanga.
He has called for the United Nations forces present in the Congo to leave the country for several years. Earlier, the Indian Army had foiled an attack by armed civilians who intended to loot a large hospital and its base built under the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the African country of Congo.
The Indian Army said on Monday that some civilians wanted to loot the property of the United Nations. Then steps had to be taken to save. Indian soldiers are deployed in 8 of the 14 missions conducted by the United Nations around the world. At present 5400 soldiers of the Indian Army are deployed worldwide under the United Nations flag in various challenging situations.SS1MS