By Ebi Kesiena
A UN peacekeeping helicopter has been shot at in the violence-ridden eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) leaving one South African peacekeeper killed and another seriously wounded.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres who “strongly” condemned the attack, said in a statement that “attacks on UN peacekeepers can constitute a war crime under international law.
The plane, which was flying from Beni, came under fire at around 3pm on a flight to Goma, the provincial capital of North Kivu, where it eventually landed.
The South African army confirmed this information in the evening, saying in a statement that the Onyx helicopter had come under fire, that “one crew member was killed, another injured but he managed to continue to steer the aircraft and land it.
The South African defence, after informing “the families of the soldiers involved in this unfortunate incident”, said it would provide further details “in due course”.
According to Amadou Ba, a spokesman for the United Nations mission in the DRC (Monusco), the origin of the shots is not yet known and their precise location has yet to be determined.
Also, in a statement issued on Sunday evening, Bintou Keita, the head of Monusco, condemned a “cowardly attack against an aircraft bearing the emblem of the United Nations.
Mr Guterres called on the Congolese authorities “to investigate this heinous act and to bring those responsible swiftly to justice”.
The UN “will continue to support the Congolese government and people in their efforts to bring peace and stability to the east of the country,” he said.
