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Federal Foreign Office condemns attack on UN blue helmets serving in the MONUSCO peacekeeping Mission
A Federal Foreign Office Spokesperson issued the following statement today (8 December):
We condemn in the strongest possible terms the perfidious attack on UN blue helmets serving in the MONUSCO peacekeeping mission in North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. According to the United Nations, at least 12 Tanzanian peacekeepers and five members of the Congolese armed forces were killed. Numerous peacekeepers were injured, and some of these are in critical condition. Our thoughts and sympathy are with the victims’ families and loved ones. To those who were injured we wish a rapid recovery. At this difficult time, we stand side by side with the United Republic of Tanzania.
The courage and commitment with which UN peacekeepers perform their daily duties in the cause of peace and to protect civilians in crisis and conflict-ridden regions deserve our special recognition. We support the United Nations in its efforts to swiftly investigate this attack and to bring those responsible to justice. Killing blue helmets is a war crime.
Background information:
Germany supports the efforts of the international community to promote peaceful development in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. MONUSCO (Mission de l’Organisation des Nations Unies pour la Stabilisation en République démocratique du Congo) was established by the UN Security Council in 2010 and is currently the largest UN peacekeeping mission in the world. Its mandate includes protecting civilians, stabilising the country and supporting a political transition process in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The United Republic of Tanzania is one of the mission’s largest troop contributors.