UN peacekeeper killed in helicopter attack in DR Congo

One soldier was killed and another injured on Sunday, February 5, when a helicopter belonging to the United Nations mission in DR Congo (MONUSCO) was attacked.

The plane came under fire on its way from Beni, a city in north-eastern DR Congo, to Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, MONUSCO said in a statement on Sunday evening.

It added that the plane still managed to land at Goma Airport, with one peacekeeper seriously injured.

It is not yet clear who is responsible for the attack.

The two peacekeepers, aboard an Oryx helicopter, were identified as South African nationals, according to a statement by the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).

“The SANDF is in the process of informing family members of the soldiers who were involved in this unfortunate incident,” the Sunday statement read in part.

MONUSCO and the South African defence ministry expressed their condolences to the bereaved family and wished the wounded soldier a speedy recovery.

“MONUSCO strongly condemns this cowardly attack against an aircraft bearing the United Nations emblem,” the mission said.

It added that “attacks against Blue Helmets can constitute a war crime.”

The UN mission suffered another blow in March 2022, when its helicopter crashed in Rutshuru, in North Kivu, killing eight peacekeepers onboard.