UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
3 Mar
2009
MONUC condemns Attack Killing a Nepalese Peacekeeper
Original: French
MONUC / PIO / PR /25 / 2005
Kinshasa, DR. Congo, 3 June 2005: A Nepalese peacekeeper of MONUC Ituri Brigade died yesterday, Thursday 2 June, at around midnight, at the Mission's military hospital in Bunia, the administrative town of the district of Ituri, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The peacekeeper was seriously injured at Rakpa, a locality situated 65 km North East of Bunia, whilst the platoon under his command was securing the take-off of a helicopter transporting MONUC civilian staff.
MONUC / PIO / PR /25 / 2005
Kinshasa, DR. Congo, 3 June 2005: A Nepalese peacekeeper of MONUC Ituri Brigade died yesterday, Thursday 2 June, at around midnight, at the Mission's military hospital in Bunia, the administrative town of the district of Ituri, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The peacekeeper was seriously injured at Rakpa, a locality situated 65 km North East of Bunia, whilst the platoon under his command was securing the take-off of a helicopter transporting MONUC civilian staff.
MONUC Human Rights, Public Information and CIVPOL Officers as well as Bunia court's Inspector of the Judiciary Police travelled to Rakpa to gather witnesses' accounts on the alleged kidnappings and rapes perpetrated in that region where irredentist militia members of the former 'Front Nationaliste et Intégrationniste (FNI)' are still operating. As the helicopter transporting the civilian staff was ready to launch, armed men under Peter "Karim" Udaga's command, a local chief of the former FNI, opened fire on the aircraft which nevertheless managed to take off and safely brought all those on board, back to the town of Mahagi.
The Nepalese peacekeepers' platoon immediately returned fire allowing the civilian helicopter to take off safely. Four peacekeepers were injured during this firefight.
MONUC rushed in reinforcement, including an MI25 combat helicopter, which facilitated the evacuation of the injured and the extraction of the two helicopters transporting the Nepalese troops.
The four injured peacekeepers were admitted in Bunia hospital, where one of them died in the night of Thursday 2 June to Friday 3 June from his injuries. Two of the injured were evacuated from Bunia, Friday morning, to a military hospital in Pretoria, South Africa.
Altogether, eleven peacekeepers of MONUC Ituri Brigade have been killed in attacks by militia members since the beginning of the year.
MONUC condemns in the strongest terms the attack on its military and civilian staff who were conducting a peaceful mission. MONUC holds Peter 'Karim' Udaga personally responsible for the deliberate and premeditated attack, which resulted in the murder of a peacekeeper ' an act for which he will be brought to justice before the relevant jurisdiction.
Contacts:
Kemal SAIKI, Directeur de l'Information, Porte-parole ' saiki@un.org ' tel : +243 81 890 7506
Rachel Eklou-Assogbavi, Porte-parole adjoint a.i., Chef Unité Relations Medias a.i.
eklou-assogbavi@un.org ' tel : +243 81 890 7706
The Nepalese peacekeepers' platoon immediately returned fire allowing the civilian helicopter to take off safely. Four peacekeepers were injured during this firefight.
MONUC rushed in reinforcement, including an MI25 combat helicopter, which facilitated the evacuation of the injured and the extraction of the two helicopters transporting the Nepalese troops.
The four injured peacekeepers were admitted in Bunia hospital, where one of them died in the night of Thursday 2 June to Friday 3 June from his injuries. Two of the injured were evacuated from Bunia, Friday morning, to a military hospital in Pretoria, South Africa.
Altogether, eleven peacekeepers of MONUC Ituri Brigade have been killed in attacks by militia members since the beginning of the year.
MONUC condemns in the strongest terms the attack on its military and civilian staff who were conducting a peaceful mission. MONUC holds Peter 'Karim' Udaga personally responsible for the deliberate and premeditated attack, which resulted in the murder of a peacekeeper ' an act for which he will be brought to justice before the relevant jurisdiction.
Contacts:
Kemal SAIKI, Directeur de l'Information, Porte-parole ' saiki@un.org ' tel : +243 81 890 7506
Rachel Eklou-Assogbavi, Porte-parole adjoint a.i., Chef Unité Relations Medias a.i.
eklou-assogbavi@un.org ' tel : +243 81 890 7706
