1 UN military peacekeeper, 2 police personnel killed in DR Congo

Amid escalating violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a UN peacekeeper and two police personnel were killed and a third was injured, a UN spokesman said on Tuesday.

There were unconfirmed reports of civilian casualties during anti-United Nations demonstrations in easternmost North Kivu province.

Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said that "violent attackers snatched weapons from Congolese ­police and fired upon our uniformed personnel. Sadly, one military peacekeeper and two UN police personnel were killed, and another was injured."

Haq said the attack occurred at the Butembo base of the UN mission in the DRC, which is known as MONUSCO. The only identity among the casualties was that of the slain peacekeeper from India.

The spokesperson said that "we add our voice to the acting head of ­MONUSCO, Khassim Diagne, to condemn the killing of our colleagues and to express our deepest sympathy to their families and colleagues."

Diagne described the violence against the UN as "absolutely unacceptable" and "counterproductive" given that the mission is in the country to work alongside local authorities to protect civilians, deter armed groups, and build the capacity of state institutions and services, Haq said. 

Diagne called on Congolese authorities, civil society, and community groups to denounce the violence.

"It is not in chaos and confusion or division that we will make progress towards stability and peace," he said.

There were at least four incidents targeting the homes of MONUSCO and other staff, and a mob tried to enter the premises of the UN Development Programme compound in Goma, the spokesperson said. Security guards repelled the attackers.