The UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Monusco) said Tuesday in a press release that “three protesters were killed in a heavy attack on its convoy” north of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province.
The incident occurred after the peacekeepers were on a supply mission in Kiwanja, some 70 km north of Goma, where they were accompanied by the Congolese military (FARDC). On their return to Goma, they were blocked by demonstrators who had barred the road with large stones.
Then “assailants” set fire to four trucks and “stole their cargo”, and three people lost their lives during the short battle, while the peacekeepers and FARDC “tried to protect the convoy”, according to the same statement.
An investigation with the Congolese authorities has been opened and will determine the circumstances of the deaths.
This hostility comes on top of several recent attacks by demonstrators on Monusco, which is accused of ineffectiveness against armed groups in eastern DRC, such as the M23 rebels.