UNITED NATIONS, July 30 (NNN-Xinhua) — Security forces in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Friday thwarted the breaching of a UN base, and the army stopped weapon-wielding demonstrators targeting a second, a UN spokesman said.
“Threats of violence against our peacekeeping bases and personnel continue to circulate on social media,” said Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
In Kiwanja, North Kivu province, security forces prevented two attempts by demonstrators from breaching the base and in Nyamilima, northwest of Rutshuru, the armed forces of the DRC intervened to prevent an attack against the base and arrested youths carrying petrol bombs and stones, he said. “Our mission remains on high alert.”
The spokesman said the overall situation in the North Kivu capital city of Goma is calm.
He said the DRC government met on Thursday to discuss the attacks against the UN mission known as MONUSCO, during which the participants called for calm and dialogue.
Earlier in the week, anti-UN demonstrations turned violent. On Wednesday, a military peacekeeper and two police personnel from MONUSCO were among 15 people killed in Butembo and Goma.
The under-secretary-general for peace operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, who was visiting Mali, was dispatched to the DRC and was to arrive on Friday.
“It will be an opportunity for him to take stock of the situation and to meet with national authorities,” Haq said. “Lacroix will also express his solidarity with peacekeeping colleagues who are working in extremely difficult and volatile circumstances as well as share his deepest condolences with the colleagues and friends of the Indian and Moroccan peacekeepers who lost their lives during the demonstrations.” — NNN-XINHUA
