Fourteen peacekeepers from the United Nations Democratic Republic of the Congo mission (MONUSCO) and five Congolese soldiers were killed in an attack on a base in North Kivu, the U.N. said on Friday.
“These deliberate attacks against UN peacekeepers are unacceptable and constitute a war crime,” U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said, adding: “I condemn this attack unequivocally.”
U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said 14 peacekeepers and five soldiers were killed and more than 40 others were wounded in the December 7 attack on the MONUSCO Company Operating Base in Beni territory.
Fighters from the Allied Democratic Forces rebel group are believed to be responsible for the attack, which MONUSCO said led to protracted fighting between suspected ADF elements and MONUSCO and FARDC Forces.”
In October, two U.N. peacekeepers were killed in an ADF attack on their base in eastern DRC.