UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
3 Mar
2009
MONUC condemns the assassination of nine of its peacekeepers in Ituri
Press Release /MONUC-PID 03/2005
This morning, at about 9:20 (local time), two foot patrols (21 elements altogether) of the Bangladeshi contingent of MONUC were ambushed 5 kilometres west of Kafe, in the district of Ituri, by one of the armed groups that refuse the disarmament and community-based reintegration process.
This morning, at about 9:20 (local time), two foot patrols (21 elements altogether) of the Bangladeshi contingent of MONUC were ambushed 5 kilometres west of Kafe, in the district of Ituri, by one of the armed groups that refuse the disarmament and community-based reintegration process.
During this ambush, nine MONUC peacekeepers lost their lives.
These 'blue helmets' were part of a company tasked with the protection of the camp for displaced persons located in Kafe. They were on a mission to secure the immediate surrounding areas of the camp zone in order to protect its population against the exactions by militias of which they were the victims a few weeks before.
The commander of the Ituri Brigade has immediately launched a helicopter operation composed of transport and attack helicopters (MI-8 and MI-25) providing air support to his troops. Protection operations as well as zone control and sweeping operations are under way to capture the assailants.
This premeditated attack comes in the wake of several actions conducted by MONUC in Ituri aimed at neutralizing the militias who prey on, and terrorize the local population.
MONUC holds the armed groups' political and military leaders, who continue to refuse the disarmament and reintegration process - put in place by the National Commission for Disarmament and Reintegration (CONADER), MONUC and international donors ' responsible for these assassinations and call for their arrest.
This attack can only strengthen MONUC resolve to continue its actions aimed at neutralizing criminal groups and protecting the population.
These 'blue helmets' were part of a company tasked with the protection of the camp for displaced persons located in Kafe. They were on a mission to secure the immediate surrounding areas of the camp zone in order to protect its population against the exactions by militias of which they were the victims a few weeks before.
The commander of the Ituri Brigade has immediately launched a helicopter operation composed of transport and attack helicopters (MI-8 and MI-25) providing air support to his troops. Protection operations as well as zone control and sweeping operations are under way to capture the assailants.
This premeditated attack comes in the wake of several actions conducted by MONUC in Ituri aimed at neutralizing the militias who prey on, and terrorize the local population.
MONUC holds the armed groups' political and military leaders, who continue to refuse the disarmament and reintegration process - put in place by the National Commission for Disarmament and Reintegration (CONADER), MONUC and international donors ' responsible for these assassinations and call for their arrest.
This attack can only strengthen MONUC resolve to continue its actions aimed at neutralizing criminal groups and protecting the population.
