Peacekeepers, gov’t troops react to deadly raid on DRC civilians
Civilians in eastern DRC recently staged protests against UN peacekeepers and others, claiming they had not been receiving enough protection from deadly rebel raids.
The UN mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has sent peacekeepers to a North Kivu site where rebels killed civilians, a UN spokesman said on Wednesday.
The UN mission in the DRC, known as MONUSCO, dispatched a patrol of peacekeepers to join with Armed Forces of the DRC to Vido, near Oicha in Beni Territory, said Stephane Dujarric, the chief spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The troops reacted to initial reports of eight civilians killed on Tuesday in the rebel raid.
Dujarric said there were reports that assailants torched at least 10 houses and a school. The attackers were believed to be from the rebel Allied Democratic Forces.
He said the raid triggered the displacement of civilians from their homes toward nearby Tchabi and a government forces camp.
The joint response to the attack showed MONUSCO “continues to pursue efforts to protect the civilian population in the eastern region of the country,” the spokesman said.
Civilians in eastern DRC recently staged protests against UN peacekeepers and others, claiming they had not been receiving enough protection from deadly rebel raids.
