Secretary-General Condemns Attack on United Nations Helicopter in Democratic

 

Republic of Congo, Thursday, Wounding Peacekeepers, Pilot, Congolese Police

 

The following statement was issued on Friday, 27 November, by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

The Secretary-General condemns the shooting attack on a United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) helicopter yesterday in Dongo, Equateur Province in the western part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  The attack resulted in injuries to three peacekeepers, a civilian pilot and one member of the Congolese national police.

Since the end of October, Dongo has been the scene of violent clashes that have displaced tens of thousands of civilians and left scores of villagers and policemen dead.  MONUC’s deployment to Dongo is aimed solely at assisting the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to protect civilians affected by the recent violence.

The Secretary-General calls on the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to ensure that the perpetrators of the attack against MONUC are held accountable.  The Secretary-General also encourages the Government to take steps to peacefully resolve the issues underlying these clashes.  MONUC stands ready to assist in this regard.

The Secretary-General expresses his appreciation to the personnel of MONUC and wishes the injured a speedy recovery.

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For information media • not an official record