Six Indian UN peacekeepers injured in Congo ambush

Six Indian peacekeepers and a local interpreter, serving with the United Nations mission in strife-torn Congo, were wounded when their patrol was ambushed in what is being termed as a “targetted and deliberate” attack.

The six peacekeepers were part of the Indian contingent serving with the UN Organisation Stabilisation Mission in Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO).

They were ambushed along with their interpreter while returning from a patrol with 12 other peacekeepers near Buganza in North Kivu province on October 17 after finding the bodies of four civilians, the mission said in a news release.

“This premeditated, targeted and deliberate attack is inadmissible,” said the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative and head of MONUSCO, Roger Meece.

“We will work with the national authorities to identify those responsible for this ignoble deed so that they are called to justice.”

A UN Indian peacekeeper was killed in the same province in July when he was caught in a cross—fire in clashes between Congo’s armed forces and a rebel group known as the March 23 Movement (M23).

Congo’s eastern provinces of North and South Kivu have witnessed increased fighting between government troops and the M23, which is composed of renegade soldiers who mutinied in April. The fighting has displaced more than 300,000 people, including many who have fled to neighbouring Rwanda and Uganda, as well as within DRC.

MONUSCO, with 19,000 uniformed personnel, is the latest iteration of UN peacekeeping missions that have helped to bring stability and civilian elections to the vast country after it was torn apart by civil wars and rebel movements.

Much of the country has achieved a measure of stability but fighting with various dissident groups has continued in the east where the bulk of the peacekeepers are deployed.

Q) write a short notes about MONUSCO ?

Ans : The United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo or MONUSCO (previously known as United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo or MONUC), is a United Nations peacekeeping force in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) which was established by the United Nations Security Council  to monitor the peace process of the Second Congo War, though much of its focus subsequently turned to the Ituri conflict, the Kivu conflict and the Dongo conflict.

Since 1999, about US$ 8.73 billion have been spent to fund the UN peacekeeping effort in DRC. As of June 2010, the total strength of UN peacekeeping troops in DRC exceed 20,000. More than thirty nations have contributed military and police personnel for peacekeeping effort .India being the single largest contributor.

Q) what is M23 Movement ?

Ans : The March 23 Movement, sometimes abbreviated as M23, is a rebel military group based in eastern areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo(DRC), mainly operating in the province of North Kivu. The group is currently involved in a conflict with the DRC, which has led to the displacement of large numbers of people.