Bisola David
The United Nations have said that on Sunday, an attack on a South African peacekeeper’s helicopter in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo resulted in the death of one of the peacekeepers and the injury of another.
The Punch reported that according to an AFP spokesman, the attack occurred at approximately 3:00 pm (1200 GMT) as the plane was en route to Goma, the capital of the Nord-Kivu region, where it was able to land.
Amadou Ba, a spokesman for the UN mission in the DRC, stated that the cause of the fire that hit the aircraft was unknown, and its exact location was still unknown.
The incident was also confirmed by the South African military.
In a statement, the South African National Defence Force stated that “an Oryx helicopter came under fire in Goma, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Sunday, February 5, 2023.”
“One crew member was shot to death, while another sustained injuries but continued to pilot the helicopter, which successfully landed at Goma Airport.
Family relatives of the soldiers who were engaged in this terrible occurrence are currently being notified by the SANDF.
“Strongly condemning this heinous attack on an aircraft displaying the UN insignia,” MONUSCO chief Bintou Keita tweeted, adding that “attacks on peacekeepers can constitute a war crime.”
According to Stephane Dujarric, a spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the Congolese government was urged to “examine this terrible attack and immediately bring those guilty to justice.”
